Heartbeat
by basalisk120
Summary: A little while back, Sayaka noticed something very surprising about her friend Kyouko - whenever she looks at her, she get's the strangest feeling in her chest! Of course, it doesn't take a genius to work out why, but now she's going to have to work out if Kyouko feels the same way! (Mostly cute fun, but gets a little emotional at times... Set in an au where Kyouko saves Sayaka)
1. Chapter 1

"Ha! Piece of cake!" Kyouko cried, as waves of magic and dark energy shattered around her, revealing an empty car park in the dead of night. There were a few cars dotted about, but nobody was about to bother her, dressed as she was in her Magical girl garb. Or me, dressed in my own. It used to make me feel pretty self-conscious, back when I first started. I'm no stranger to a short skirt of course, but the flashes of midriff and a strapless top did make me feel awfully… exposed. Especially given our current method of witch hunting, which can be easily summed up by the phrase 'wandering around the scuddiest, darkest dead-ends in the city wearing what appeared to be cosplay in the dead of night'. I admired Kyouko for the ease with which she pulled it off. Sure, she'd been at it for a good year longer than me, but it just seemed so… Natural to her. She was born to be a Magical girl, I suppose. Lithe and athletic, naturally talented… I feel clumsy next to her. She's so poised, so graceful… so beautiful, even.

That was a strange realisation, the first time I noticed. Scared me slightly, even. But I've given this some thought, and… I'm okay with it. I think.

"Hey, Sayaka? Wanna go get something to eat, before we call it a night?" The childish redhead asked me, flashing me a playful grin. I loved it when she did that. When we first met, it felt… I dunno, predatory. Like a crocodile smiling before it kills you. But now, I guess I found it pretty cute. She was like a puppy sometimes, so pleased to see you and more playful than anyone could keep up with. The fangs probably didn't help much. They're a bit weird, I think, but they've really grown on me over the last few months.

"Huh? Jeez, Kyouko, we can't just go out and eat at this time, we'll get indigestion. Let's just go home." I said, frowning at her.

"Pssh, whatever." The fiery delinquent replied, balancing her spear over one shoulder and pulling out a box of pocky. "I never get indigestion, anyway."

"Well, I do, and I'm not gonna push my luck for you, dumbass." I replied, sighing and reverting to my 'human' form. It was a strange sensation, dropping back. There was an appreciable drop in power, even though we still have most of our abilities without our costume, there's some kind of limit that holds us back. Once you've spent a while with that kind of power, being without it makes you feel rather delicate. And even without it, everyone else feels really delicate, too. I mean, even though I'm nowhere near as powerful as Kyouko. She's a master of the art, a real veteran with bags of experience and a soul gem that glows like a lighthouse. I'm clumsy and useless compared to her, and I still feel it. I guess it's why Magical girls don't have much to do with normal people. As Kyouko said, there really is nobody like us.

"If we're gonna go, then let's _go_," Kyouko said, breaking my chain of thought. "I don't wanna stand around here all night." And with a spark of red like a flame, Kyouko was changing back, her spear vanishing to nothing and her garb burning away to reveal her signature hoodie, tank top and denim shorts. She never let me wash any of it, so I bet it was filthy. She walked past me in the rough direction of my house, grabbing me forcefully by the wrist and dragging me a couple steps to get me going. She'd probably noticed that I was feeling a bit spaced out at the moment. She wasn't angry of course, that's just the way she was. Kyouko was a whirlwind, racing along at two hundred miles an hour, and I just struggled to keep up. So I jogged a few paces, bringing myself up level with her, walking by her side. It's nice that we can have these times together, I think.

Of course, when I say 'home', I don't mean 'our home', or even the place where we both live. Technically it's my home, or my parents' home, and it's where I live. But my parents are away on business trips so often these days, and the house is nearly empty so often, that I let her stay over a lot. Not that I'm really allowed to, but I don't really need to ask if they'll never find out, right?

We walked in silence for a while. That was odd, because we almost always had _something_ to talk about, even if it was just about how Kyouko was such a slob, or how I was completely useless, or something. But something was wrong with the fiery-haired girl, I could tell. She clammed up when something was eating her, and avoided eye contact. She was usually so passionate, so social… I don't like her when she's like that. I prefer to see her smile.

"Hey, Sayaka?" She asked, once again breaking my train of thought. Her voice was quiet, something that almost never happened.

"Huh? What do you want?" I asked, trying not to sound tense. It probably didn't work.

"You weren't focussed on the fight, just now." She said simply, and looked up at me. I am slightly taller than her, as much as she hates to admit it.

"Yeah, I was!" I shot back, trying to sound confident, even indignant. I just sounded like I was lying.

"You know you weren't. What's up?"

"Nothing's wrong, Kyouko. Promise I'm fine." I replied, smiling.

"Don't lie to me, stupid." She grunted, punching me lightly on the arm. Well, lightly for Kyouko. "You know it's dangerous in there, and I get worried when you aren't focussed."

That part hurt more than any punch could. But I really couldn't tell her what was wrong.

"I know, Kyouko. I'm sorry, okay? I won't do it again."

"You _always_ say that! And then you go and do it all over again!" She began loudly, as we walked through dark and empty streets. Then she started talking again, only much quieter. But the words felt louder in my head. "Ever since then, I've always been worried when you act odd, Sayaka. When you get all… Moody, or quiet, or distant, and stuff like that, I get scared that you're gonna go again…"

"How many times do I have to tell you that I'm fine, now?" I asked, but my voice was gentler this time. I had to be, for her. "It's been months. I've got you, and Madoka, and The Transfe-and Homura, and Mami… A-and my family too. Can't you just trust me, here? That's why we fight together, right?"

Kyouko nodded, looking like I had said something that stabbed just as deep as what she had said herself. I want to hug her, when I see her that way. At the very least, I want to hold her hand, like she did to me that night… But she's too complicated for things like that. I know her better than anyone alive, and I still feel like she's a stranger to me. She hides so much, but that's just the way she is. Wild and free, and full of mystery. I envy her for that. I'm far too open, too obvious and too easily-read. That Homura girl seemed to know me from the moment she met me.

"I guess… Promise you won't go all crazy again?" Kyouko's choice of language implied that everything was alright again.

"Promise." I replied, nodding.

"Alright! Now come on, if we're going home, can we _please_ hurry?" She said, completely changed. That was Kyouko, alright. She was a hurricane of emotion, here one moment and then whirling away the next. She was like fire, a glorious burst of passion that was at the same time beautiful and dangerous, liable to burn you if you got too close, but warm and comforting to a fault. I mean, I'm no poet, but I can talk about Kyouko in my head all day.

"Alright, alright! Cold or something?" I asked, laughing as I picked up the pace to keep up with her.

"No!" She replied indignantly. "Well… It's easy for you, your uniform is pretty warm…"

"Aww, poor Kyouko… Maybe if you wore something a little less summery?" I asked, noting as my breath condensed around my mouth. She must have been colder than she let on. It was Winter, for crying out loud.

"Hey, shut up… I'm fine, okay? Let's just hurry up."

"Sure, sure, but if you need ol' Sayaka to keep you warm on the way home…"

"I do not!"

"Fine…"

It was past midnight when we finally got 'home'. Even I was pretty cold, so I imagine Kyouko must have been freezing. Of course, Kyouko being Kyouko, she refused to show it, and adamantly maintained that she was fine until we got inside. But even she couldn't hide the sigh of satisfaction when the warmth hit her.

"Man, remind me to get changed into some warmer clothes for the witch-hunt, next time…" I muttered, stretching out my shoulders.

"Psh. I'm not your mother, remember yourself." Kyouko replied with just enough bite to be friendly, and show that she was still ticked off. When she got like that, she was either hungry, cold, or both.

"Oh, just get in the bath." I said to the obnoxious redhead, shoving her gently. She huffed playfully, but headed for the bathroom all the same.

It would save a lot of time and water if we both went in together of course, and my bath could easily take the two of us. But I just couldn't… Not with Kyouko, at least. Madoka maybe, because we're like sisters, but… The thought of being naked with Kyouko for an extended period of time is rather more than I can bear. I wonder if Kyouko ever thinks about that kind of stuff? She grew up in a church, so I guess not. But then, it's not like she acts like a Christian. I mean, she says grace before meals a lot, but she's rude and violent and certainly doesn't 'love her neighbours' or anything like that. It'd be rude to ask her about it, though.

I sighed loudly, wandering into the living room and flopping down on the sofa. I know I love her and all, but do I have to think about her all the time? I wonder how much she thinks about me. I bet she doesn't. I don't even know if her mind works like that, or if she's interested in girls. Perhaps I'll ask Mami? She knew Kyouko back in the day. But I felt too tired to think right now…

"Hey!" A voice suddenly called, cutting through my mind like a knife. "I'm done in the bath now!"

I was lying on my back on the sofa, bleary-eyed and confused.

"Sayaka? What are you doing?" Kyouko asked, looming over me. Her hair was down, and she had a towel draped over her shoulders. I stared up at her stupidly for a second, looking her over. She'd put her black tank top back on, but not her jacket. She looked really beautiful, standing over me.

Trying to hide my blush, I grunted, rolling off the sofa and getting to my feet. "Guess I'm more tired than I thought… It's pretty late, after all." I said, stretching and making to go in the bath myself.

"Well, be quick in the bath, then. I don't want to have to break the door down if you pass out." Kyouko replied with a smirk, straightening up to watch me.

"As if you'd bother." I shot back, heading for the bathroom. "You'd happily let me drown."

"Hey! Someone's gotta look after you, you know." Kyouko replied indignantly, and I looked back at her as I walked. She was only wearing her top and her panties. I coughed, stumbling away.

"A-anyway, I'll see you in a bit." I said hastily, locking myself in the bathroom.

_How unfair is that? _I thought to myself. _Does she not realise what she's doing?_ I put my hand to my heart. It was beating like in a witch fight! I scowled, crossing the bathroom and poking my hand into the water. It was still pretty hot.

_I mean, I know I'm hiding my feelings from her, but still… doesn't she have any shame? _I thought to myself, quickly undressing and slipping into the bath. The hot water soothed me a lot, I shan't deny. It really gets in through your skin, and the steam really slows everything down… Makes the world seem a little less intense. Mami says that time for relaxation is important when you're a magical girl. Too much stress leads to soul corruption, and I've gone too far down that route to try it again.

I sighed, leaning over the edge of the bath. Relaxation time was good and all, but it gave me a lot of time to dwell on things I wasn't too keen on dwelling on. How I stood with Kyouko was a particular favourite. Sure, I'd like the _idea_ of going out with her, in principle, but it seems really awkward and tricky to think about. It's also impossible to gauge how Kyouko thinks about the whole idea. I mean, she always seems happy and enthusiastic to see me, but I do get the feeling that she'd do a better job of killing witches without my help. And I do insist on killing Familiars too, which she sees as a waste of time.

_Do I annoy her?_ That's a strange thought. We're at each other's throats a lot these days, even if it's just playful. And what she says does annoy me a lot, but she herself doesn't. I used to hate her, but now I can scarcely imagine disliking her.

_And then… Where does Kyousuke fit into this?_ The thought sent a shiver down my spine and made my gut lurch painfully. I didn't like to think about him. It felt weird, almost. Like cheating on Kyouko or something.

In an attempt to vent my anger a little, I groaned, punching the side of the bath. But as I did, something curious happened. There came a thud from the door, and a muffled curse that could only have been Kyouko.

"Kyouko?" I called out, the peaceful silence of the bathtime shattered. "Kyouko, was that you?"

"U-uh, yeah!" Came a hesitant response from the door.

"What the hell did you just do?"

"What do you mean, 'what did I do?'" Was Kyouko's hesitant response.

"I mean, what was that noise?" I replied, trying to sound impatient.

"Well, it's just… I was just… Walking by, right, and I heard something in the bathroom and it surprised me, s-so I slipped into the door… B-because the floor's wet! Yeah!"

"Why were you walking past the door?" I asked suspiciously.

"I was… Going to get a snack from the kitchen!" She said hurriedly.

"H-hey! You could ask before you eat my food!" I shot back angrily. "My parents pay for that!"

"W-well, I didn't think you'd find out, see…"

"You're unbelievable, Kyouko." I said, lying back in the bath.

A few seconds went by in silence.

"Does that mean I can have some, then?" Kyouko asked brightly.

I rolled my eyes. "Go on then."

"Thanks, Sayaka!" Kyouko said cheerfully, and I heard her footsteps pad faintly away from the door. Which is odd, because I don't remember hearing them before she fell over.

Thinking nothing of it, I managed to keep myself awake long enough to wash up (Which doesn't take nearly as long when your hair's as short and rubbish as mine) and stagger back out of the bath, leaning against the sink for stability as I dried myself one-handed. It was only then that I remembered something pretty important that I should have remembered before I got in the bath.

I'd forgotten my pyjamas.

I wrapped the towel around myself instead, trying not to blush as I considered the idea of Kyouko seeing me wearing so little. It's not like this is the first time, either! I swear I'm getting worse.

Taking a deep breath, I pulled the door open, greeting the wave of cool air with a wince. It was almost like a physical force. Of course, as an ally of justice, I'm far above that kind of thing and opted to just push through it.

"What's up, Sayaka? You look _really_ intense." Kyouko said, shattering my confidence. She was sat on the couch, one leg crossed elegantly over the other and a chocolate bar in her mouth. Her head was cocked to one side curiously.

"It's colder than I thought." I muttered, shivering a little. I was all too aware how much skin I was showing, standing in front of her. To be honest, it was less than Kyouko was showing herself, but I felt really exposed. "A-anyway, I'm gonna go and get my pyjamas on, and then go to bed. You can come in in a few minutes…" I said, turning and hurrying away before she could say anything back. I didn't particularly like being short with her, but if I had to look at that cute expression, those long legs, that soft skin and longer… Gah, it didn't pay to think about things like that. What would she think if she knew about me? I'd probably really freak her out…

That's something else I try not to think about. The possibility of her being uninterested in me genuinely makes me feel queasy. We had to work for so long just to become the friend that the other needed, that messing it all up by confessing to her might convince her to move back to Kazamino.

I stopped in my tracks, just as I was pulling my pyjama top on. I'd started getting dressed without even thinking about it. But the idea of rejection again was so jarring, so horrid…

I blinked a couple of times, shaking my head. Maybe I'm not okay, really? They say these things leave mental scars, and even I can't fix those.

I scowled, yanking on by pyjama bottoms and stalking toward the door. I wish I could just stop thinking and be all carefree like Kyouko.

I pulled the door open and nearly had a heart attack when I found Kyouko standing right outside, looking just as surprised as me.

"Kyouko!" I blurted stupidly.

"S-sayaka!" Kyouko replied, looking just as stupid but with a slightly redder face. "I-I was… Just gonna see if you were finished!"

"W-well, come in, then…" I said, turning away. It did seem weird that she was right outside, but it made sense. I did tell her to come in after a few minutes. Incidentally, I loved the way she said my name. I can't quite place it, but the way she says it, with her brash, energetic voice… It scrambles my insides.

Kyouko nodded, bounding in after me. I'll be honest, she didn't look tired in the slightest.

"You'd better not keep me up, tonight. I have school in the morning, you know." I said, climbing slowly into bed.

"Yeah, yeah. I'll be good." She replied dismissively, climbing into her sleeping bag. There was no way I'd let her stay in the same bed as me!

"Goodnight, Kyouko…" I mumbled, snuggling down under the covers. My bed was great. Feather pillows, thick duvet… It made me feel pretty bad that Kyouko was sleeping on the floor, but she didn't have to stay here, right? She had a four-star hotel she'd swindled herself into.

"Nunight, Sayaka!" Kyouko said childishly, as I closed my eyes. I smiled a little. She really was like two different people, sometimes – In battle, she was deadly serious. Sometimes boastful, and often flamboyant, but far more mature than I ever thought I'd see from her. But when you got her alone, she was just like a kid! Obsessed with sweet things, and messing around, and running about… I'd come to love both sides of her, but as secure as I feel by her side in battle, I can never escape the feeling that something terrible might happen to her. It's the life we chose, really – A short one and a cold one. That's what Kyubey had wanted from us all along. But magical girls are supposed to be alone, I think. It gets to them faster, if they are. Together, we can support each other, and keep ourselves alive and such. It's a pretty great life that we lead.

Slowly, secretly, I opened my eyes a crack to get one last look at Kyouko before I went to sleep. She wasn't lying down like I suspected, instead she was sat up, hunched over with her hands clasped tightly before her. I kept forgetting that Kyouko liked to pray. It seemed strange, to me. After all she suffered thanks to her father's faith, she never lost her own. I smiled a little as I watched her whisper silent prayers into the night. I often wonder what she wishes for.

But as much as I wanted to stay awake and watch her gentle movements as she prepared for bed, my eyelids were simply too heavy to stay awake.

.0.

**Thank you, dear readers, for finishing chapter 1! I've got a huge amount of appreciation for you. While I've been on the fic-writing scene for a good three years now, this is my first Madoka Magica themed work and my first one set in a first-person perspective! So, obviously, there's always the problem of characterisation and such. And while I've read just about every translated KyouSaya doujin on the internet at least ten times, there's no guarantee that I got it right, or that I didn't miss anything. So, please submit any feedback you have, whether it's good or bad. Because while it's always good to receive constructive criticism now and again, you've got no idea how good it makes a writer feel when you submit a review just saying that you had fun reading it. And that isn't just for me, that's something all writers love. So make somebody happy today! It only takes a couple minutes!**

**Thanks for reading!**


	2. Chapter 2

"_I've gotten to the point where nothing really matters anymore…" I began, staring into space. Kyouko was by my side, that night, standing next to me with the most intense expression I've ever seen. But I wasn't really paying her any attention. I wasn't paying anything much attention. I replied to what she had said, but I couldn't even remember what she had said in the first place. I wasn't even paying attention to what I was saying. It didn't really matter, anyway. I was just spilling empty words out of an empty body. My soul wasn't there, at any rate. I wasn't alive, of that I was sure. I didn't really have any purpose, now. I had lived past my usefulness, and now I would die. Who would miss me? Madoka was the special one, everyone liked her more, except Kyouko. And she wanted something out of me, anyway. Why else would she be nice? She tried to kill me twice. But I'd beaten her to it, now. _

_I glanced down at my hands as I spoke. My soul gem was in there – black as the night and swirling with corruption. I didn't even know it could get any darker. I felt weak, near death – I don't think I had long left. _

_I looked up at Kyouko, opening my hands a little. I noticed how strange the scene was – I was about to die, and my only mourner was the one girl that had wanted me dead. But she seemed sad, tearful even. _

"_I've been such an idiot…" I finished, paying attention to myself again for the first time. This was it. I felt a single tear roll down my cheek. I waited to die, for that last shred of energy to leave my body. But something else happened instead. _

"_Don't say that!" Kyouko's voice cried, cutting into the thick fog enveloping my mind. Her hands grabbed my own, pressing them together and sealing off my soul gem. "Don't leave me!" She cried, tears flowing down her grubby cheeks. Her hands were warm, I noticed. And soft, despite the callouses of her duties as a Magical girl._

"_What does it matter? We're dead already, you and I…" I murmured softly, but my words spoke with less conviction than before._

_Then Kyouko had released my hands, and instead held my by the shoulders, pulling my limp body in close and hugging me like I'd never been hugged before, squeezing me to her chest like I was the only thing in the world that mattered. Her chin rested on my head, and she cuddled my head in tightly to her chest. _

"_We're not dead, Sayaka… You… You idiot… Yeah, we're different from the others, but we're alive, and we're together… You and I… The others too, if you'll let them… We're here for you."_

_For the first time in what felt like weeks, I cared about what she said, and I listened. I remembered what she had tried to explain to me before, and for a brief moment, I think I understood her. But the most important thing, the thing I remember the most, was Kyouko's heart._

_Thump thump… Thump thump… Thump thump…_

_It was the most comforting, most gentle sound I've ever heard. I don't know if she meant to do it, or if she was just hugging me, but something about it worked. Everything just seemed… Better, I guess. She was so warm, so tender… It surprised me, jolted me back into life. Almost immediately, it felt as if my soul gem was warm in my hands, and though it was still dark, I didn't feel close to death anymore._

_After that, I think I just broke down and started crying. I cried for what felt like hours, and Kyouko just sat with me, holding me close._

_Honestly, I don't know how long we were there. I didn't have much of a mind for time, that night. But by the time I was done crying, and we had met Madoka and the Transfer student on the way back, a lot of time must have passed, because it was almost light when Kyouko got me home._

_I don't know if that was the night I started to feel confused, but I'd like to think so. Things always seem better when they're more dramatic._

I woke with a start, wringing with sweat and lying on my back. I panted softly, putting my hand to my heart. It was thumping like mad.

I grimaced, sitting up and sliding over to the edge of my bed. It was warm, and I didn't want to get out. But I had school, and my grades are really slipping. I sighed and looked over at Kyouko.

The childish redhead was sprawled out on top of her sleeping back, her arms and legs all out at different angles. Her long hair was splayed out beneath her, looking like dark flames wreathing her sleeping body.

Alright, I confess. I was staring. Kyouko's got a way of demanding attention, even when she's asleep. Or, maybe that's just me.

Either way, I had to get up sooner or later, so I wriggled reluctantly out of bed, slipping down onto my knees and edging over to her. Her breathing was soft and gentle in the quiet morning haze, and her mouth was open, those weird little fangs showing and a trickle of saliva running down her cheek. I debated wiping it away for a moment, but I eventually decided it would be too weird, even for me.

"Kyouko…" I murmured softly, leaning in a little closer. She didn't stir.

"Kyouko…" I pressed. "I'm gonna make breakfast just for you…" Still nothing. And that always worked.

"Well, fine." I huffed. "You'll just have to eat it cold later." I got to my feet and stretched, leaving my sleeping companion to get the rest she apparently needed. She was like a small child, or a cat or something. She'd eat or sleep for twenty-two hours a day, but those other two hours were really something to see, a blur of hyperactive motion. I wondered how on earth she managed to concentrate on anything for more than a couple of seconds. I sighed and left her to her dreams, heading out of my bedroom and closing the door behind me. Whatever they were, they were apparently more important than me _and_ breakfast, so it was best that I left her to it.

As I wandered downstairs and started preparing some omelettes, I thought to myself about whether or not I gave Kyouko too much space.

_I mean, she's always been mysterious, and always likes to have things on her own terms, and at her own speed. Which might be a little difficult for me to keep up with, but it keeps her happy and comfortable. And she really deserves that, after all this time. But I never really enquire about her personal life or feelings – does she know I'm trying to be respectful, or does she think I don't care?_

I sighed irritably as I plated up the fourth omelette. Of course I'd only ever have one myself – I had to watch my weight, after all, but Kyouko loved to eat to her heart's content when she woke up. I hope she notices how much love I put into her breakfast – I make it nearly every day.

_Perhaps I worry about this too much? _I thought as I sat alone at the kitchen table, steaming omelette before me. I never really cooked anything before I started hosting Kyouko, but she said I'd gotten pretty good at it since she started coming over. I didn't think much of what I made, but she always wolfed it down. Of course, she always wolfed anything down, but that was beside the point. There's something weirdly… Satisfying, or even enjoyable about watching Kyouko smiling as she ate food I prepared for her.

_Perhaps I think about her too much?_ Was the first thought in my mind as I cleaned up in silence, leaving the other omelettes for the redhead for when she got up. It was fair to say that more than half of my thoughts that didn't involve things around me were to do with Kyouko, these days. She just had a way of… _invading_ my mind at all hours of the day, and once I'd started thinking about her, it became very difficult to stop.

Still, it was better than thinking about a lot of things, like being dead, which is what would have happened if Kyouko wasn't around.

I shook off such thoughts as I cleaned my teeth, still looking tired and half-asleep in the bathroom mirror. It wasn't good to be thinking about that sort of thing this early in the morning, anyway…

_I'd much rather spend that time thinking about Kyouko… Or anything, of course._ I thought, hastily. It didn't always have to be her, damn it!

I got dressed in the bathroom, too. I didn't really like the idea of Kyouko waking up at the wrong time, and I could make myself just as presentable in front of the bathroom mirror. My hair clips were an important addition to my daily routine, and had been for years now. Kyousuke had bought them for me as a birthday present back when we were both kids, and wearing them had become habit. At the time, the gift had felt very important and heartfelt, and I'd proudly worn them in my hair with a smile on my face and a blush on my cheeks. Looking back, they really aren't that great. He probably could have bought them on the way to school with his eyes closed.

Not that I like to think badly of him. I still struggle to approach him, and he's dating Hitomi now! Which I'm _over_, that's for certain. I don't really dwell on it so much anymore. I mean, I have little cause to. The three of us are still in the same class, but I scarcely see them these days. I guess it's because Madoka and I hang out with Mami and the transfer student a lot while we're at school, which she probably finds intimidating, and Kyouko spends time with us outside of school, and I think Hitomi's scared of her. I would be, if Kyouko gave me the kind of looks that she gives Hitomi.

Kyouko hates them both with a passion. I've tried explaining to her that it's not really their fault, but she's childish and stubborn about that kind of thing, and I just can't change her mind easily. I think she has some impression of them as cackling demons, canoodling in front of me and making me watch! But they're actually pretty good about it. Unless he's just as distant with her as he was with me…

The strangest part is that I still have to ask myself if I like him. It's like I can't even tell anymore. Is there really room in my heart for two, or am I just fooling myself because it's habit?

I glared about my reflection. _Don't I have anything better to think about?_ I then glanced down at my hand, and to the ring that was placed around my finger. I traced the runes on its surface with my other hand for a second, noting how it was always that tiny bit warmer than my skin.

_Of course, I'm still bound to him…_ I thought, with a sigh. No matter how hard I tried, no matter how much I distanced us, no matter how much I thought of Kyouko and dreamt of holding her slim, athletic body in the small hours of the morning, I was still tied to his wellbeing by the nature of my wish.

I had wanted nothing more than to heal him, at the time. And to be honest, I definitely don't regret that part. He never would have been happy again, without the use of his arm. But what I do regret is the selfish nature of my feelings at the time. I know I only wanted to help him. I know I only wanted to make him better simply because he didn't deserve that kind of fate, but deep down, I was desperate for some kind of return on the love I had given him for so long. Love was a tricky emotion. I couldn't help but experience it, time and again, but I somehow felt it would be the death of me, someday. I know I have to stop thinking so self-destructively, but I'm naturally melodramatic, and I'm genuinely worried about what will happen between me and Kyouko.

_I'm going to have to talk to Mami about this after school…_ I thought, shouldering my schoolbag and heading for the door. _So there's no more worrying involved. But I'll have to be discrete about it…_

I'm not sure why I couldn't tell Mami. She could probably keep a secret after all, and there aren't many people she could tell. But it'd feel weird being that open to her, and not just because she's my senior. I could trust Madoka with it, but I don't think asking her would be very productive. For a start, she doesn't seem to know much about love, and she hardly knows Kyouko at all.

_Probably because Kyouko only spends time with me…_ I thought, but I quickly shook it off. What did that mean anyway? The transfer student spends all her time with Madoka, and there was nothing between them. And Mami spends all her time with Nagisa, and she's just a kid! Though that could be because she needs looking after…

I spent about half of the morning walk to school in silent contemplation. The journey's basically automatic to me now, so it doesn't need much conscious thought anyway. I've become a lot more thoughtful since I nearly died. I don't remember thinking about stuff nearly so much before all this Magical girl stuff started happening, and our lives twisted into tragedy. I mean, that could just be because I've got more to think about, but they say people become a lot more philosophical after-

"Sayaka!" A bright, cheerful voice cried out behind me, and one I knew all too well.

"Madoka!" I replied, turning back to face my pink-haired childhood friend. "Morning!"

Madoka ran up to me with a brilliant smile on her face, but her stony-faced companion wasn't far behind. She was like a shadow or something. "Good morning, Sayaka!"

"Transfer student." I acknowledged with a nod. "You don't usually come this way to school, do you?" I asked, remembering roughly where she normally met us.

"A-ah, Homura stayed over at my house last night, because I thought she might be lonely…" Madoka said, smiling bashfully.

"What do I have to tell you about picking up strays?" I jokingly scolded her. "You're too kind for your own good, you know."

Madoka giggled softly in reply, but Homura fixed me with a glare. Or, maybe she was just looking at me. Hard to say.

"I have a name, you know. And I've been at this school for months." The Transfer student said coldly.

"Yeah, yeah…" I replied dismissively. I admit that I was trying to provoke her a little. She's just so expressionless!

"Oh, I do wish you two would get on a little better…" Madoka said with a pout. "Homura's our friend and companion now! We should all be nicer to each other."

"Yeah, I know… Sorry Madoka." I replied, deliberately not apologising to Homura. "Had a fun evening?"

"O-oh yes! It was nice, and Mama was in for the evening, and… H-how was the witch hunt?" She asked, rapidly changing the subject as we started to walk to school.

"Oh, that?" I said, deciding not to think anything of Madoka's change of subject. It's not like she had anything to hide. "Piece of cake." I finished, quoting Kyouko.

"Did Kyouko stay over at your house, again?" Madoka asked, cocking her head to one side. Homura just silently shadowed her. She rarely said much when anyone else was around, but apparently she was quite animated when alone with Madoka.

"Mhm." I said, nodding. "But I couldn't even wake her up with breakfast, so she's staying at my place until she gets up."

"Sh-she's… Okay, right?" Madoka asked quietly, leaning in closer a little. As if anyone in this city even knew who Kyouko was.

"Yeah? Shouldn't she be?" I asked, a small pit forming in my stomach. Was something wrong with Kyouko that she didn't tell me?

"O-oh, well… It's just that she was with me and Homura the other night, and she was really… Quiet…"

"That's all?" I replied, relieved. "She's fine, don't worry. I'm sure she just didn't have anything to talk about."

Truth be told, I knew the answer why. On most nights, unless there were exceptional circumstances, only two or three out of the six of us would go out on the witch hunt, so that the others could have a life or rest without risking their soul gems. Nagisa got more time off than us because she was younger and needed more sleep, and I would often go with Kyouko or Mami because we can compliment each other. But Homura refuses to be paired with anyone other than Madoka, and it's far more hassle than it's worth to argue with her. But when those two are out with anyone else, it gets really uncomfortable for them simply because… Well, Homura has a way of making it obvious that you're not wanted. Mami and I can generally ignore it, and Nagisa doesn't really notice, but Kyouko's not as reserved as we are.

"Are you sure? I only really see her after school, these days." Madoka said, still looking concerned. Homura just looked irritated that she was still talking to me.

"I am! Look, I know Kyouko better than_ anyone_. You know that, right?"

"Y-yeah… You have been spending a lot of time with her, lately… When are you going to introduce her to your parents?" Madoka asked, as if it was important.

"Huh? Well, I dunno." I replied suspiciously. "I don't think they'd much like her anyway. She's unkempt, uneducated and impolite, most of the time."

"If that's the case, why do you like her so much?"

"What do you mean 'so much'? She's my friend, and she saved my life." I said, much more defensively than I intended.

"S-sorry!" Madoka apologised, putting her hands up. "I-I didn't mean anything by it, only we don't really see you two so much anymore…"

"Aww, don't be that way," I said, putting my arm around her affectionately. I think I saw a glimmer of emotion from Homura. "It's not because we're avoiding you guys or anything, it's just-"

"Hello girls!" Came the kindly, more mature voice of our senior.

"Mami!" Madoka cried enthusiastically, slipping out of my grasp. "Good morning!"

I grinned and turned to face the blonde veteran, giving her a wave as she sauntered over to us. Presumably, the transfer student acknowledged her as well.

"Good morning, everyone. How was the witch hunt last night, Sayaka?" Mami asked, getting straight to business. I really respected her maturity. Kyouko could do with learning from her.

"Oh, it was fine. Me and Kyouko only managed to find the one witch last night, and it wasn't too strong. Have you already dropped Nagisa off at elementary school?"

"I have." She said, nodding. "I would have met you two earlier, but we had a little trouble finding some of her schoolwork this morning."

"Jeez Mami, you're like her mother or something." I said, laughing.

"Well, someone has to be, and I'm the oldest." Mami said in a responsible manner. But I knew from that little smile of hers that she loved Nagisa's attention. She was like the little sister that Mami never had, and she doted on her.

"I still wish I'd been allowed to look after her…" Madoka said with a pout. "She's really nice…"

"You know that would have raised far too many questions, Madoka." Mami replied kindly. I happily retreated into the background of the conversation, letting them talk around me. "And my flat was designed for two people anyway. Besides, don't your parents have enough trouble looking after you and Tatsuya?"

"W-we're no trouble!" Madoka cried, but the point had been made time and again.

"Oh yeah, you're such a troublemaker, Madoka!" I laughed, playfully cuffing her shoulder. "Sneaking out at night and getting into fights!"

"I-it's not like that at all!" Madoka returned, playfully shoving me. "And not so loud… People might hear…" She said, looking about. Sure enough, we had ended up right outside of school almost before I knew it, and we were surrounded by the milling throngs of unenthusiastic students.

"And what they hear won't make sense, anyway…" I said lightheartedly, smiling. I glanced over at Mami though, and she smiled. She always said that it was important to be able to make light of a Magical girl's duty. Taking the edge off it during the day made it easier to live with when alone. Luckily, we weren't truly alone like she had been.

"Come on, Madoka." The transfer student said softly. "We'd better get to class before registration."

"Ah! Good idea, Homura! Come on, Sayaka!" Madoka said, looking back at me as the pair of them sped up. I looked to Mami, who smiled encouragingly.

"I'll see you all at lunch, okay?" She said, breaking away from us and heading toward her own classes.

"Alright, Mami. See you later!" I called, but I caught myself at the last moment. How could I forget so easily? "W-wait, actually! I need to ask you something!"

"Oh?" Mami replied, turning. "What is it?"

"Look, can I ask you after class?" I asked, glancing over at the rapidly disappearing forms of my two classmates. "It's… It's not serious at all, I just wanted to know something about Kyouko. 'Cos you've known her for the longest."

Mami gave an odd smile, much like her normal warm smile, but almost with a hint of a smirk to it. "Certainly, Sayaka. See you soon." And then, with a small nod, she was off, walking in that deliberate measured way that only she could. Like Kyouko, she was a veteran too, and with far more experience even than my beloved redhead. She had a level of self-control that even masters of the martial arts could only dream of. I couldn't help but wonder if it was only skin deep, though. She could never bear to be alone, that was obvious.

_Not that anyone can blame her_, I thought as I rushed after Madoka and the transfer student. Given that I was trying to turn my grades around, turning up late to school wouldn't have been a great start. I couldn't imagine what it would be like to be so totally alone that I had to rely on _Kyubey_ for company. But I brushed thoughts of him out of my mind completely as I hurried to class. Today was the day that Magical girl Sayaka became class genius!

.0.

I suddenly awoke to the unusual and faintly unpleasant sensation of being prodded. Furious with myself for sleeping in class yet again, I started, sitting up as quickly as I could. Madoka was the obvious culprit, sitting to my right. I glanced over at her, still clearly looking as confused and startled as I felt. Madoka just pointed urgently to the front of the class. My eyes followed her gaze as I slowly caught up with the world.

"-To announce that we have a new transfer student today!" Miss Saotome finished, smiling brightly. "She's missed a lot of school because of some family issues, so she's retaking this year." I regarded our teacher with some considerable dread as I remembered the disruption caused by the last transfer student. I glanced over to my left, and my heart sank yet further. The space next to mine was the only one in the classroom.

"Now, I'd like you all to be very accommodating, and always do your best to help her out if she needs your help." I all but let my head hit the desk again.

"So, if you'd like to introduce yourself?" Miss Saotome said to someone I couldn't quite see, despite the glass walls. Then the transfer student stepped inside, with a flash of red and a familiar smile.

"Hi there!" She said, as my bottom jaw just about hit the desk. "My name's Kyouko Sakura! It's really nice to meet you all! I hope we can all be friends!"

I had to admit, Kyouko looked _good_ in that uniform. After seeing her in that hoodie and those shorts for so long, to see her wear something with a shred of class was just… Unusual. But it really suited her! She had really nice skin. I'd noticed that a little while back, but it was really obvious now, with her skirt so short and free. She had really long, pretty legs, too. Much nicer than mine, at least.

I realised that I was staring. And my mouth was still slightly open. Was I blushing? Yeah, I was blushing. I coughed as quietly as I was able, breaking my own concentration and bringing me back to my senses.

It didn't take long for Kyouko's eyes to find me – my hair is blue, after all. But my heart did skip a beat when she chose my face out of all the others to give an extra-wide smile.

"Ah! There looks to be a spare seat next to Sayaka, there. Would you like to take your place?" Miss Saotome said, and I almost forgot to be annoyed at Kyouko for a second. _How dare she enrol without even telling me?_

"Sure thing, Miss Teacher-person!" Kyouko said enthusiastically, to the mild amusement of the class, weaving her way down the classroom. It was just like the childish redhead to forget the teacher's name so quickly.

"That's Miss 'Saotome', Kyouko…" the aforementioned teacher added, as Kyouko approached me. All eyes in the class were on the fiery-haired whirlwind.

"Hi Sayaka!" She whispered just loud enough for everyone in the city to hear. I just ignored her. Straight-A Sayaka was not going to be distracted by the new transfer student.

Class went on pretty much as normal, from then on. The only real difference is that I was most certainly awake, for once, and for the first time since before Kyousuke's accident, I felt really self-conscious. But despite all that, I wasn't paying attention to Kyouko. I was doing my work like the excellent student I am, and I wasn't stealing glances at the soft features of her face, or those cute little fangs, or-

"_Psssst! Sayaka!"_

-Or the way she kept trying to get my attention. And I certainly wasn't paying any attention to the way that she was tapping a pen and pencil like a drum-set against the edge of her desk, or tapping her feet, or her long, lustrous hair held back in that ponytail-

"_Sayaka! Pssssssst!" _

-Or the way that she _clearly_ wasn't doing any work, or the way that she was actually _eating_ in _class_ now, or the fact that she was scrunching-

A scrunched up piece of paper bounced firmly off my nose. Seething, I turned to look at my aggressor.

"_What _do you _want_ from me?" I hissed, glaring at her.

"Whoa, what's your problem?" Kyouko said quietly, taken aback. "I was just trying to get your attention!"

"_Why?_" I asked, exasperated. "You're not even doing any work!"

"Yeah, I don't… I don't get what's going on." Kyouko shrugged.

"It's simple maths, for crying out loud!" I replied. "What's not to get about long multiplication?"

"Uhh, I missed two years of school. Remember?" Kyouko retorted, as if it was something that didn't really matter.

"Well maybe if you _paid attention_, you'd understand?" I asked, frustrated.

"C'mon, Sayaka, what's your damage? You wake up on the wrong side of bed, or something?" Kyouko asked, looking genuinely taken aback.

"Is something wrong, Kyouko?" Came the voice of Miss Saotome. I winced at my own stupidity. She must have noticed us talking.

"Ah! Sorry Miss, I was just asking Sayaka what was going on 'cos I didn't get it." Kyouko said, and I sighed with relief. No more questions would be asked, and I could get back to wor- "But Sayaka wouldn't tell me."

_What?_

"Sayaka? Why on earth not? Don't you understand either?" Miss Saotome asked, her gaze on me. I was now stuck in the incredibly difficult situation of lying and saying I didn't understand something easy, or trying to tell the truth in some way that it would make sense.

So, I decided to lie even harder.

"Sorry, Miss… I was just trying to finish off a question so I could help her, is all." I said, looking as innocent and apologetic as possible.

"Oh, I see." The spectacled teacher replied, smiling kindly at Kyouko, who judging from her reaction to my glare, hadn't noticed what she had done wrong. "Well Kyouko, you know that if Sayaka's busy, you can ask one of the others, right?"

"Huh? Oh, 'course Miss, it's just that me and Sayaka are old friends." Kyouko said happily, smiling over at her.

I groaned inwardly. The whole class was now disrupted, and all eyes were on us. Kyouko didn't much seem to mind, but it sure bothered me. Madoka was trying not to laugh, and even Homura looked smug at my embarrassment.

"Oh, right. Well, do try not to disrupt class again, okay?"

"Sure thing, Miss!" Kyouko said, probably having forgotten Miss Saotome's name again.

As she turned back to face the board, Kyouko grinned over at me. But as cute as she was, I couldn't forgive her so easily.

"_What was _that?" I whispered softly, leaning toward her.

"What was what?" She replied, just as quietly.

"Dropping me in it like that!" I shot back, glancing over at Miss Saotome to make sure that she hadn't heard.

"Oh, _that_?" She said, as if it had happened years ago. "Yeah, sorry about that. Guess I didn't think."

"When do you ever?" I replied, turning back to face the board.

"At least you're talking to me, now." She said, shrugging.

I just sighed and rubbed my face. "You're unbearable."

"Yeah, but I'm the best you've got." She said cheerfully.

_I swear to god, Kyouko… If I didn't love you so much…_ I thought to myself, gritting my teeth.

"Just pay some attention. Please?" I growled, to which she just smiled.

After that, maths was long, hard and boring. It was always long, hard and boring of course, but especially so now I had Kyouko right next to me. It was making being a perfect student _extremely_ difficult, given how much she was distracting me. It wasn't just her presence, either. She kept poking me, or trying to talk to me, or fidget, or play with her stationary, or talk to our classmates…

_*Oh god, please! Make it stop!* _I broadcast mentally, just generally casting it out to the others.

_*Hey!*_ Kyouko cried internally.

Madoka stifled a giggle to my right, and the transf- Homura didn't react at all.

_*But you're so annoying!*_ I cast back at Kyouko.

_*But it's so boring, here!*_

_*You didn't have to enrol!*_

_*Oh, I'm sure it's not so bad.*_ That was Mami's voice. I keep forgetting she was in range.

_*Hold on, you knew?*_ I asked incredulously, sighing.

_*Ummm… Well, technically, yes. Somebody had to set things up for Kyouko so that nobody would ask questions, and I've done it myself before.*_

Some deep part of me felt a sudden pang of emotion over that. Obviously, I know that it's because of their shared loss and Mami's experience with that kind of thing, but I really hate it when there's nothing I can do to help Kyouko. She might have been Mami's once, but she's mine now!

_*I still wish you'd told me, Kyouko.*_ I said, sounding sulky.

_*I said, I wanted to surprise you!*_ She said enthusiastically in her mind, flashing me a grin. I reluctantly smiled back. _*Besides… Don't you want me here?*_

_*Hey, don't make it like that. That's not what I said at all.* _I said, before focussing my mental conversation onto Kyouko alone, out of privacy. _*I'm happy to see you and all, I just… didn't expect it.*_

_*Ah, no worries.* _Kyouko replied, leaning back on her chair and putting her arms behind her head. _*Sorry I didn't realise you'd get all crazy about it.*_

I huffed indignantly, turning away. But out of the corner of my eye, I could see Kyouko smiling at me. She just loves to wind me up, all the time. But hey, we antagonise each other. It's not perfect, but it's fun.

_*So, Kyouko… Did you like your breakfast?*_ I asked publically, in a casual tone.

_*You're damn right I did, Sayaka!* _Kyouko replied eagerly. The way she said my name mentally was just as cute, I noted for what must have been the fiftieth time. _*Three whole omelettes! You're the best host ever.*_

I smiled with pride at my talents as a hostess. But not as widely as I smiled at what came next.

_*Is that so, Kyouko?*_ Said Mami. _*I shan't forget that…*_

_*Ah! M-Mami!* _Kyouko cried, shooting forward in her seat with surprise and fear. _*I didn't-*_

Madoka and I sniggered at her reaction as the redhead produced a dusting of red upon her cheeks as well. Of course I knew perfectly well how proud Mami was as an entertainer.

"Is something wrong, Madoka?" Miss Saotome asked wearily. Apparently she'd seen the three of us, and trusted Madoka's honesty.

"I-it's nothing, Miss Saotome…" Madoka said, coughing a little and settling down.

The rest of the day passed slowly, to say the least. And even though I am now a start student, I admit that I found it pretty hard to focus. Not only were my eyes apparently eager to see Kyouko's new look as often as possible, I was also starting to get a little worried about this 'personal chat' I was going to be having with Mami. I was starting to wonder if it was strictly necessary, for a start. I mean, did it really matter that much if Kyouko was into girls? She could be into a million girls, and I might not be one of them. And it's not like Mami could tell me _that._ No, only Kyouko could, and I wasn't about to ask her just yet. And really, what was the rush? Knowing this today wouldn't be much different from finding out a month from now, right?

_Except we could all be dead by the end of the week…_ I thought briefly, while everyone else laughed and enjoyed their lunch. I wonder if the others thought about that often, or if it was just me, given how close I'd gotten myself? Either way, those were dark, corrupting thoughts so I ignored them as best I could.

But they really did tell me that time was of the essence, and if I didn't act, sooner or later my object of my affections would slip through my fingers yet again. And I couldn't let that happen twice. Not for my sake, or for the sake of anyone living in Mikatihara.

.0.

"So, Sayaka… You wanted to talk to me, yes?" Mami said, smiling kindly. I didn't see any of that smirk from before. We were walking back in the late afternoon light, bags upon our shoulders. We had finally managed to lose the others – it took some explaining to get Kyouko to head home without me, but Madoka and the transfer student seemed perfectly happy to go and do… Whatever it was while they were alone, I suppose.

"Mhm." I said, my mouth feeling dry.

"About Kyouko, and how I've known her for a very long time?"

"Yeah, that…" I said non-committedly, looking away. This felt like a really bad idea already.

"Well, is something wrong, at all?" She asked, looking over at me. Through the corner of my eye, I could see a concerned expression on her face. She was always so kind.

"Oh no, nothing's _wrong_ like that, at all…" I said, trying to find the right words to sum up my question without revealing too much. How do you ask anyone someone's sexuality without being asked why? We spend so much time together; Mami's going to assume something by it.

"Then in what way is it wrong?" She asked, walking a little closer.

"Look, it's… it's nothing. Don't worry about it, 'kay?" I asked, hoping that would be an end of it.

"It most certainly isn't 'nothing', is it Sayaka?" Mami said, with just a hint of force. I flinched at the sudden gravity of her tone. "Look, I don't want to pry. You're one of my closest friends after all, and you're entitled to your privacy. But we have to trust each other with our lives, and if there's something wrong between you and Kyouko, then-"

"There's nothing wrong!" I said, suddenly realising that I had almost shouted. "I-I mean, there's nothing wrong between us, really. We're still just as close as ever, and we still trust you and each other just as much as before. It's nothing to do with Magical girl stuff or anything, I promise."

"Then what are you hiding from me?" She asked, her tone stern. Apparently she hadn't appreciated the way I had almost shouted. And honestly, I didn't blame her. She had only asked me a valid question. "And more importantly… What are you hiding from Kyouko?"

"Nothing…" I began, but Mami saw right through me. Everyone seemed to, except Kyouko.

"I don't know how you two are when you're alone, but when you're with us, you seem uncomfortable, Sayaka. You act… On edge, and awkward, like there's always something that you want to say but you just can't quite get it out."

My palms were sweaty. My knots in my stomach had become writhing snakes, and my blood ran cold. Mami had me figured out.

"In fact, the way you've been acting over the last couple months or so, is… Almost like something I hardly ever saw. In fact, I think I only ever saw you acting that way twice before. And you know, it was when-" She stopped, both in speech and in movement, pausing as an expression of realisation spread like a sunrise across her face.

"Kyousuke." I muttered, finishing her thoughts for her. I kept walking a couple steps ahead of her, but I stopped after that. I think my heart had stopped beating anyway. I would have appreciated a witch arriving just to break the tension of the moment.

"Oh, Sayaka…" Mami said softly, and I was surprised to hear that her tone was neither mocking nor smug. "I had a feeling I was right…"

"Yeah, well you were." I spat. I didn't feel like talking anymore.

"Then what was it that you wanted from me, then? Did you want to know if we had ever…?"

"Wh-what?" I asked, incredulous. "N-no! Why would I… Wait, did you?" I asked, confused. Surely, her and Kyouko had never-

"Oh, no. Kyouko and I were close, but we were never a couple. Of course, in those days, I did… Love her, in a manner or speaking, but it was a familial kind of love. Like you have for your parents, I'm sure." She explained, blushing.

"I never really see my parents." I replied, unwilling to think of anyone else loving Kyouko in any kind of way. Am I selfish? Without a doubt, it would seem.

"Please cherish them, Sayaka. I'm sure they love you." Mami said softly, and I felt a sharp pang of regret at what I said. I never thought about what I was going to say, and I stepped on far too many toes. Kyouko was a lot like that, too.

"Yeah, I'm sure." I said softly, withholding any opinions that stated the opposite. I had enough of those. "But this isn't about my parents…"

"Yes, I'm sorry. And you… You love Kyouko too, then? And not in the way that I did… Or do, rather."

I just nodded. My only complaint was that perhaps 'love' just didn't sum up what I wanted to say strongly enough? Just to have one word to describe a feeling like that… It wasn't enough to talk about the pain, the fireworks, the hunger, the passion, everything.

"I must admit, I never much thought she would be your… Type?"

"Not much like Kyousuke, is she?" I asked, chuckling without much humour. This conversation hadn't much put me in a good mood. "I mean, aside from the obvious."

Of course, this was true. Aside from having a similar root name, and now attending the same school, there weren't many similarities. Kyousuke was smart, successful, came from a wealthy family and knew how to succeed. He was also pretty cold and distant to most, even me. Kyouko was… Fire. Hot, bold, passionate, outgoing. She came from a poor family that only got poorer before tragedy struck. And yet I had loved them both. Only with Kyouko it felt… More natural, perhaps? Even with my difficulties, I felt much more at ease with Kyouko, and the feelings I have for her seem a little stronger than they were for Kyousuke. Not that it mattered. I don't feel much for him at all, anymore.

"Not at all." Mami said, sharing the gentle chuckle. "But despite her rough exterior, she's still wonderfully kind, and I can easily see why you might feel so strongly toward her. But of course, I'm sure you know that, already."

I smiled briefly, but I couldn't keep it up long. There was still more things that needed to be said.

"Mami, do you think… Kyouko might ever have feelings for… Someone like me?" I asked hesitantly.

"Are you asking if… She's interested in girls?" Mami asked in reply. I just nodded morosely again.

"Then I'm afraid I really can't help you. Even before, when Kyouko was much more open about this sort of thing, we never really discussed it."

"I mean, she is really Christian…" I interjected. I know that some Christians can be a little… iffy on that subject.

"Yes, she is, but I really think it'd be a matter of personal preference over what she's been taught, anyway." Mami said kindly. "Kyouko can lie to a great many people, but she can't lie to herself."

"Ah, you're probably right. But what should I do? I don't want to mess things up." I said, as we turned a corner and started to approach the playground outside the back of the elementary school that Nagisa attended. Kids were playing after school, running about and climbing and rough-housing and all the things kids do. It made me miss my own innocent childhood a bit.

"I think… for now, you should just try to keep an open mind about it. Look out for clues, but don't let it get you down until you know for sure." She said in her veteran's voice, and I nodded in agreement. When Mami used what me and Madoka call her 'veteran's voice', you listened. She was full of vitally important information for a magical girl, and knew the best ways to keep her soul gem stable.

"Anyway, it would appear that we have arrived…" Mami said distractedly, looking out into the throng of playing children. "Nagisa dear?" She called out.

"Sis!" The bubbly child replied, suddenly appearing from the centre of the crowd, waving to someone behind her as she ran toward us.

Nagisa was an adorable little creature, no mistake. She wore a spotted pink frock with dark magenta sleeves, dark magenta tights and shoes with little bows on them. She also wore a huge smile as she ran up to us, throwing herself into a full-body hug with Mami. Well-used to the treatment, Mami took the hug easily in her stride, swinging her gently round and setting her down again. For the third time in two days, I felt a tiny amount of jealousy toward the more experienced magical girls, envying their poise. The only thing I can really swing with any amount of ability is a baseball bat.

"A-and hello to you too, Sayaka!" She cried, turning her head toward me while she still held both of Mami's hands.

"Hey there, kiddo!" I said with a smile and a childish little wave.

"How was your day, dear?" Mami said, in the motherly sort of voice she used on Nagisa.

"Eh… It was okay, Mami…" She said, rolling her eyes. "I got _so_ much homework, though!"

"Well, you'll still have to finish it all before dinner…" Mami replied. Obviously, she too could remember what a child meant by '_so_ much' homework.

"Aww…" Nagisa whined, releasing Mami and beginning the stroll back to their apartment. "Ooh! Ooh! Can Sayaka stay for dinner?" She asked, suddenly turning round and bouncing off her toes.

"Oh, well, I don't know…" Mami started, looking over at me. "You two aren't free, are you?"

I looked over at Nagisa's huge, pleading eyes. "Well, I don't see why not. My mother's not back until- Hold on, us two?"

"Why, yes. You and Kyouko. She stays at your house nearly every night, doesn't she?"

"We're not tied together, you know!" I said indignantly, but like Mami, and Madoka, and Kyouko, I'm simply not capable of saying no to Nagisa. She's so sweet, and she's had it so tough… "Oh, alright. I'll go home and fetch her, okay?"

"Perfect! Thank you very much, Sayaka." Mami said, smiling warmly.

"Yeah, thanks Sayaka!" Nagisa said eagerly, grinning from ear to ear. Of course, she probably suggested it originally so she could put off doing homework, but she was nearly as fond of Kyouko as she was of Mami. Probably because they're both kids, whether physically or mentally.

"Oh, actually, if you two are coming over…" Mami began, stopping me as I started to leave. "Would you mind making a night of it? If I call Madoka and Homura, and I send you a text with a shopping list, you two could get me some ingredients and I'll prepare for everyone?"

"Sounds great!" I replied, though I didn't much feel like socialising tonight. "Guess that means Kyouko and I are on 'duty' tonight?"

Mami winced a little, nodding. "Well, yes. Sorry. I'd ask Homura and Madoka, only-"

"Only Madoka's going to visit her grandparents out in the countryside tomorrow morning, and she needs an early night." I finished for her. That of course meant that Homura would largely be busy too, though I don't know what she does with her spare time. I could quite easily imagine her just sitting at whatever home she has and just watching the clock slowly count away the seconds. She was going to be like a lost sheep over the next couple of days, without Madoka.

"Sorry again…" Mami said, but I just smiled.

"Oh, don't worry too much about it. Kyouko loves her work anyway, and I'm keen to be protecting the city at night." I said proudly. "Oh, and speaking of which – I'll take the seed from last night down to yours, too."

"Oh! Good idea." Mami said enthusiastically. "I'll tell Madoka to bring the two that she and Homura collected the night before last."

"Alright then." I nodded, starting back the way we had come. Going to Nagisa's school was quite a long way out of my way, but I didn't really mind it. "Don't forget that list!"

"I won't!" Mami called out as I left, and Nagisa said something about seeing me soon, but by that point I'd already started running.

Sharing seeds was how we worked, now. Kyouko had taken a little adjusting to the idea, but was pretty keen on the concept as soon as Mami suggested it. Me and Madoka too, though I'm not sure about the Transfer student. She never really gives opinions.

Due to the hopefulness and happiness of our current situation, we burn up emotional energy pretty slowly. Even I could last longer than Mami could back in the day without recharging, and I burn through the stuff like a steam engine in a fight. The others can last way longer, and if it weren't for the witches putting frequent dents into our purity, we could easily last a month or two if we stayed happy and tried not to move much. But even so, we can't last forever, and because we don't all go out every night anymore, we can't just take what we win when we win it, or else we'd be imbalanced in terms of purity. (Not that it makes much difference – even though we've been at it for months, Madoka and Kyouko still have the purest gems.) So we try to meet up at least once a week or so to recharge socially, or if we've had a gloomy few days, we might borrow a little off one of the others to top us up before going out on the hunt. That way we're always ready, and we're always pretty strong. I'd be proud if it was my idea, but of course it was Mami's. It was adapted from when she used to share with Kyouko more than a year ago, when she used to dream of actually making a number of friends that were Magical girls and doing exactly what we do now. I suppose she's had enough time to think of tactics. That was before she realised that Magical girls like us were something of an exception.

If a Magical girl intends to live more than a few months, they have to toughen up fast or find some way of coping, thanks to the rules of karmic destiny. For some, like Kyouko, it doesn't kick in for months. For others, like Mami and Nagisa, it's almost instant, and for me, it took just under two weeks for karmic destiny to catch up with me. Things are always hard for Magical girls – otherwise we wouldn't be eligible to become one – but there's always a point where the nature of your wish comes back to bite you. I was lucky, because I had Kyouko by my side when it happened to me, and Mami's almost unique, in that she was strong enough to overcome it. Most, however, get hardened, like Kyouko, cold to the outside world and uncaring toward humans who haven't suffered for their happiness, while some simply lose their grasp on sanity. As naturally solitary people, unless they spot weakness in a neighbouring territory, Magical girls don't visit each other and we don't see much of outsiders. As desirable as our location is, we are essentially untouchable as a unit of six. But that said, someone recently moved into Kazamino, Kyouko's old territory, and we occasionally see them from a distance. Kyouko says she doesn't trust them, but I know we don't have anything to fear. Who would be stupid enough to take all of us on? Only Homura could really take on those odds, because she cheats. And before we drove him out, Kyubey said that her powers were all but unique because most don't have the karmic destiny to deserve that kind of power.

I sometimes wonder what it was that Homura had to overcome before she met us. It must have been some tough stuff, for her to get that way. Still, it wouldn't kill her to stop glaring at me the whole time.

I slowed to a jog, puffing a bit as I crossed a road, absorbed by the crowd of commuters. I looked at them, busy worker ants going about their day, and I wondered to myself how many of these people I had saved in the past. That was a strange feeling. It wasn't very rewarding, because we didn't get much appreciation for it, but it did feel a little nice to know that we had made a difference, correcting the mistakes of our predecessors. Sometimes I thought about who might have to kill me if I ever turn into a witch, but it's not healthy to think about that kind of thing.

_I wonder if Kyouko can look these people in the eye?_ I thought, startled by my own change of metal pace. Sure, Kyouko fought with us now, and was a reluctant ally of justice. But that didn't change the fact that, for a whole year, Kyouko turned her back on the human race and lived like some kind of parasite, stealing from them and letting them die to fuel her own magic.

I'm still not sure how I feel about all that. It's morally wrong, without a doubt. And I don't take back any of the harsh things I said to Kyouko about it. But… Kyouko is so sweet and kind, sometimes, and as I start to get a little better at fighting, I've started to notice just how much consideration she gives me in the thick of battle.

I didn't notice much, at first. Just the odd moment where she might delay an attack to make sure I was well clear, or striking at a familiar I hadn't noticed. But the better I get, the more I seem to notice that she actually puts herself in danger sometimes, just to make sure I don't get hurt. It's stupid, really. And idiotic, but… I really like it.

I love the witch hunt sometimes, I thought to myself, as the crowds started to thin out a bit. I was passing through a residential district now, so most people were already at home. Yeah, it's scary. It's hellish sometimes, and disturbing, and I know only too well that I'm putting my life on the line every time that I step out of my apartment. But somehow, with Kyouko… It didn't really seem so bad. I couldn't explain it even if I wanted to, but she just makes me feel okay, in some weird way.

"Hey there, Sayaka!" Came the obnoxious, jolting voice of my discomforting love interest.

"Kyouko?" I stammered, startled. I looked around, but she was nowhere to be seen. _Speak of the devil…_

"Up here, Blockhead." She said mockingly, and I looked upward.

Still clad in her school uniform, Kyouko had decided to go for a subtle approach and was standing proudly atop a lamppost, hands on her hips in a heroic stance.

"For crying out loud, Kyouko! What are you doing up there?" I asked, squinting up at her past the glare of the light.

"Surprising you. I was starting to wonder if you were coming back! You've been ages."

"Yeah, we went to pick up Nagisa from school…" I said, frowning at her. She was far too laid back about the weirdness of this situation.

"Ah, okay. What is it you two were talking about anyway?" She asked, hitting home immediately. I knew she'd ask, but I hoped she'd give me a little more time to prepare.

"Oh, we were just… Hey, hold on!" I said, rapidly (And skilfully) changing the subject. "Get down from there! You're still wearing your skirt!" I was having trouble not looking myself, so anyone might see! Especially with her stance as wide as it was, and her legs as long and eye-catching as they were…

"Aww, crap!" Kyouko swore with a blush, using one hand to stop her skirt from billowing out as she dropped down. She landed as if she'd just stepped off a kerb, rather than a fifteen-foot metal pole.

"Really, Kyouko!" I scolded, lightly flicking her nose. "You _are_ a girl, you know!"

"Ow! Hey!" She shouted in response, rubbing her nose as her blush only got darker. "Shut up! Nobody'd be lookin', anyways." She muttered stubbornly, sniffing.

"Oh sure, like a girl standing on a streetlight isn't gonna attract attention." I replied with a smirk, turning to go. Of course I understood what she really meant – that nobody would be interested in looking – but I wasn't about to let her wallow in unfounded self-pity. I did note that it was a very un-Kyouko thing to say, but I didn't press it. Instead, I turned to go. "Whatever. Let's go, shall we?"

"Go where? You're headed the wrong way, dummy." She shot back smugly, staying where she was.

"Am not. Who said we were going home?" I retorted, equally smug.

"Where are we going, then?" She asked suspiciously, hurrying to catch up with me as I got walking.

"Mami's. She invited all four of us around this evening to eat. Nagisa asked."

"Yay!" The childish redhead cried, jumping as she drew level with me. "Mami, Nagisa and decent food portions!" Although I always tried to cater for Kyouko's… unique dietary requirements, I've never really been the type to eat in big quantities, and as my parents are rarely home, the kitchen isn't well-stocked. Mami, on the other hand, as well as being a far superior chef, always knows how to cook for Kyouko, and can always cook enough to satisfy the greedy ball of youthful energy.

"I thought I was the best host, Kyouko?" I said mockingly, and she scowled.

"Shut up about that, already!" She growled, and I laughed softly. "Still… It's a shame about Homura." She said, throwing me with the sudden and unexpected change of subject.

"How so?" I asked, raising one brow in curiosity.

"Well, she's going to be there." She said, before flashing me one of her beautiful, enthusiastic fang-sporting grins.

I sniggered in response, happy to laugh for a moment at the black-haired misery's expense. She wasn't there, anyway. Kyouko knew me too well – jokes about Homura would almost always get a laugh out of me. Kyouko seemed to dislike her, as well, though that was little surprise – Kyouko seemed to be able to dislike nearly everyone. When I first met the two of them, I assumed they'd make good friends. They were both pretty callous and unfeeling, and neither seemed to care much about me, or about any humans that got in the way of what they wanted. But after a while, I realised why they could never get on, despite appearing so similar. Because while they both acted that way at first, Kyouko had been desperately lying to herself, trying to force herself not to care so that she wouldn't get hurt. Homura on the other hand… Well, she just seemed not to care at all. Kyouko, that… Deceptively sweet and caring girl, just couldn't get her head around it.

"Hey now," I said, still chuckling. "Madoka says we have to be nice to her, now we're all pals."

"Ah, Madoka's not the boss of me." Kyouko said, crossing her arms.

"No, she's not, is she?" I said, nudging her. "That would be Mami, wouldn't it?"

"Hey, knock it off with the Mami stuff!" She replied angrily, 'nudging' me back. I almost fell over.

"Well, she's the only person you listen to." I said, in response, getting my balance back.

"She's the only one I have cause to respect." She huffed. "She's the only Magical girl with more experience than me."

"As if being a Magical girl is all there is in life?"

"Isn't it?" She said back, almost looking serious for a brief moment. "It's who we are."

"You're a school student now, Kyouko…" I reminded her. "And you sit next to Straight-A Sayaka."

"Oh yeah…" She made a face. "Not sure all this 'schooling' rubbish is really for me, actually… Too many rules, and it feels so cramped!"

"You've only been a day!" I shot back, frowning at her. "How can you pass judgement on something so quickly!"

Kyouko rolled her eyes. "Well, _obviously_, it's because I'm amazing, and you're not."

"That doesn't even make sense!" I shot back, poking her arm. I love to argue with Kyouko. Even the stupid stuff is fun. Because when we argue, there's nothing between us. I don't need to step on eggshells like I do with other people. I don't need to be polite, or courteous. And better yet, I get to see Kyouko at her finest. It might not make much sense, from outside. Why would I like the Kyouko that fights with me the most? That should be the part I should hate, the one that I first met. But when we're arguing, she's so… Brash, so assertive, so loud that it's impossible not to like her. There's no restraint from Kyouko and I really like it.

"And besides, you don't- Hey, your phone's buzzing." Kyouko said, breaking me out of my trance.

"Hm?" I grunted, reaching into my pocket and retrieving it. "Oh yeah! I almost forgot, we need to pick up a few things for Mami!"

"Trust you to forget, Sayaka…"

"Hey! It's not like anyone would trust you with something like that, anyway…" I said, opening the message. The list looked pretty long.

"Only 'cos I don't have a phone!" Kyouko shot back, hands on her hips as we walked. "I'm super reliable, me."

"Yeah yeah, whatever." I said, intentionally belittling her. "Now come on, we've got loads to buy."

.0.

**God damn, that was a long one! Worth it though, I think. Originally it was going to be almost twice as long, and include the evening's activities as well, but I decided that really, 10,000 words was quite enough for one chapter. **

**As a disclaimer, I do apologise if what Sayaka said was offensive to Christians. As an agnostic myself, I've got no real opinions on religious belief, but I see Sayaka as the sort of person that doesn't really know a great deal about Christianity, or really all that much in general. So, while I'm sure that Christians are cool with that sort of thing these days, there are those that aren't, and it's them that Sayaka's worried about. **

**Thanks for reading, and please let me know if there's any comments or criticisms you'd like to make!**


	3. Chapter 3

"Guess who's here!" I called, as Kyouko and I pushed open the door. I presented enthusiastically, lifting both bags of shopping above my head.

"Sayaka!" Madoka replied, appearing in the hallway. She was wearing both that innocent little smile of hers, and her full Magical girl garb.

"Hey, you're transformed already?" Kyouko asked, scooting past me. "You guys could have waited."

"Ah, sorry! That was my fault, I'm afraid." Mami said, from the kitchen. "Madoka was commenting upon how Homura and I have Magical girl uniforms similar to our school uniforms, so I decided we should transform early to compare."

"Pssh. You guys are always too eager." Kyouko said dismissively, dropping her bags and pirouetting, wreathing herself in magical flame. Her uniform burned away, replaced immediately by those swishing red robes. She gave a graceful little leap forward, and as she landed, there was a small flash, and the fires were extinguished as the transformation was completed.

Opting to wait until after I had delivered the ingredients, I hurried into the kitchen, looking about for Mami.

"Ah, there you are." Mami said, looking resplendent in her attire. Hers wasn't the most practical, but I still thought it was among the best looking. "I'm sorry for making you two buy so much…"

"Oh, don't worry about it. You're entertaining all of us, after all." I said with a smile. "Most of it was on sale, in any case."

"Oh, I know." Mami said, who always knew exactly what was on sale. She truly was a master of budgeting. "But still…"

"I said don't worry!" I said kindly as Kyouko walked in. "Now, where would you like us to put them?"

"Oh, just there on the counter." Mami said, pointing to her left as she returned to her cooking.

"Need a hand at all?" Kyouko asked as she pushed past me, putting her bags down unceremoniously. I was right not to put anything that might bruise or break in her bags.

"Oh, thank you, Kyouko. But I'm already very ably assisted." Mami said with a smile, as Nagisa squeezed into the cramped kitchen, carrying a small tray with a pair of empty teacups.

"I'm helping!" She cried enthusiastically, setting the tray down on the counter.

I smiled at the young Magical girl, but I couldn't escape the tiny shred of sorrow that I always feel when I see her in uniform. She's so _young._ She shouldn't have to make her own decisions yet, and she already goes out at night to fight creatures from the nightmares of things that only live in the darkest depths of nightmares themselves. Creatures that were once girls just like us, too. I sighed, slipping out of the crowded kitchen and letting my own power surge forth, ballooning out into that warm, comforting blue that enveloped me, whirling me around and bringing out my power.

We had a lot of strange little traditions, these days. They'd built up slowly over the months that we'd known each other, so slowly that I hadn't even noticed at first. For one, whenever we met up like this, provided we had sufficient privacy, (for instance, we rarely had the opportunity to at Madoka's house) we would always spend the evening in our Magical girl regalia. For a start, it was much more freeing to be like this. Kyouko and Mami often felt shackled or caged while in their normal form, they had been Magical girls for so long. For Madoka, Nagisa and I, it was just comfortable, and reinforced the trust we had in each other.

We always tried to meet up like this at least once a week, for a number of reasons. For a start, Mami liked to get a clear picture of how things looked in Mitakihara from a Magical girl's perspective. We had a huge map of the whole city, several feet across, one of Homura's, (Not sure why she had one) onto which we annotated the locations, dates and approximate strengths of all the witches we encountered. The dates were fairly easy to punch in, but the locations were a little harder. Mami and Homura were somehow always very specific, but Witch labyrinths hardly make any sense and don't follow the normal laws of space-time. So I always make a guess based on what I remember being around me when I go in. It doesn't need to be all that specific anyway. Madoka, Kyouko and Nagisa are all pretty poor at this. Madoka and Nagisa genuinely forget a lot, I think, but Kyouko clearly doesn't care all that much. The strength thing is… A little more complicated. It's based on comparison, I think. We've got a 1-10 scale of strength based on how hard they were to defeat. All of the numbers from one to six have a specific Witch we all remember that represents a typical witch that we compare to the ones we fought. Only one witch scored higher than a six, and I think it's what we base the scale off. It's called Walpurgisnacht or something, and Mami and Homura discuss it every so often. Mami says she's only ever heard of it, but Homura claims to have fought it before and so created the scale herself. Mami says that no Magical girl ever survives Walpurgisnacht, but I'm happy to take the transfer student's word for it. The other major reason was grief seed sharing, a ceremony that would come a little later.

"Hey, Sayaka!" Madoka said to me as I entered the living room. She and Homura were sat around the triangular table in the centre of the room. I could see the map from where I was standing, only half folded-out and spilling over the edges of the table. "We're just filling in for the night before last. Could you do last night, please?"

"Yeah, sure." I said, walking over and sitting down as far away from Homura as possible. "How was your night?"

"Oh, it was okay. We encountered a 'three' just here." She said, pointing toward a string of multi-coloured dots. There were thirty different kinds of dots, which were a sort of quick visual representation of how the months passed. We started doing things that way because we noticed that the witches seemed to get stronger and braver as the full moon gets closer, so it's important to keep up with the lunar cycle too.

Looking at the map, you could see pretty easily where you got Witches. Mami had some idea from sheer experience alone, but when it was all mapped out, it became pretty telling.

We never had any Witches in any of the Market districts, or near any well-lit roads. We've noticed that even though Witches are invisible, and no matter how bright things might be inside their barriers, they always like quiet, dark places to set up. Most residential districts see few Witches for the same reason. But they are also drawn strongly to areas of extreme negative emotion, so you can easily see where 'downtown' is. There's a general sparse cloud over the whole city, with gaps for places like markets and such, but it's definitely thinner in the nicer areas of the city and denser toward the nastier ends. Alleyways and underpasses in the 'red-light' districts looked like multi-coloured ribbons weaving their way through the city, and multi-storey car parks were also pretty crowded. The industrial sector was also pretty dense, largely due to high numbers of the homeless and the general poverty of the surrounding area. Not to mention, it was pitch-black and silent at night. Being a Magical girl showed you what the city you lived in was _really_ like.

Hospitals were hotspots too, as were police stations, prisons and bars. They showed up like a camel in your garden.

Ours had been downtown, just at the edge of a car park where it met a small, scabby-looking park where a lot of shady deals took place.

"Ours was… Here-ish." I said pointing. I'd gotten much more accurate these days, and could link up the places I remembered with how they looked on the map.

"Ish?" Homura asked, frowning. "Are you even trying to be accurate?"

"I'm not a bloody Sat nav, Transfer student." I said dismissively, picking out a mid-blue dot and placing it where I reckoned we had been. It was close enough to place it on the border between the car park and the park, anyway. It didn't really matter how far along it was.

"There?" Madoka asked, as Homura glowered at me from across the table. "But nobody really lives over there at all… Were there any victims?"

"None that we could find." I said with a shrug. Victims were a pretty poor indicator of most things, anyway. It was very rare to find one at all, regardless of the nature of the Witch.

"You're not still playing mapmaker with this lot, are you?" Kyouko said, suddenly behind me. "You know it's kind of a waste of time now we know where things are roughly, right?"

"It's not a waste at all, Kyouko Sakura." Homura said formally, as I marked the Witch as a level three as well. "It's statistics."

"What for?" Kyouko asked, for what must have been the tenth time as she sat down lazily by my side. "What are we even learning?"

"As of yet, nothing." Homura said, as she had done before.

"Then why-"

"_Because,_ if you give me _time,_ I might start to be able to detect trends, patterns. Useful information that could tell us how serious a fight will be before it even happens." She growled, sounding genuinely angry. Today probably wasn't the best day to pick on her, then.

"But-"

"For instance:" Homura said flatly, pulling an exercise book from her back. It was bulging from the sheer volume of extra pages added. She flicked about a hundred pages in. "We now know that Witches are strongest upon a full moon, likely due to a superstitious increase in fear and negative emotion. We also know that there seems to be no real correlation between the strength of negative emotion in the area and the strength of the Witches drawn to it. But we do know that stronger Witches will often hide their barriers behind those of weaker Witches, to keep itself hidden for longer and to steal their victims with minimal effort. These are now _facts,_ Kyouko Sakura." She said firmly, in a weary tone. "You cannot keep expecting me to explain the same things to you."

"I'm just sayin' that we've been doing this fer ages." Kyouko muttered. "Why keep on at it?"

"Because we might learn more from continued observation." Homura replied, looking increasingly tired. "Now Sayaka, would you please take care of your pet barbarian and let the rest of us safeguard her well-being?"

"Hey! You-" Kyouko began, lurching forward to grab at Homura. But I latched my fingers around the back of her collar, yanking her back and throwing my arm around her.

"H-hey! What was that for?" Kyouko asked, coughing and rubbing her throat.

"Mami doesn't want bloodstains on the upholstery." I said, poking her cheek as forcefully as I dared. It was risky business, touching that soft, irresistible skin of hers…

Kyouko just huffed loudly and folded her arms, but she didn't make any move to slide out of my grasp and to my surprise (and shameless delight) she actually leant against me as Homura poured over her precious numbers and Madoka helped her as best as she was able.

It was about ten minutes before anyone came out of the kitchen. It was Nagisa, who handed out cups in the incredibly enthusiastic way that only kids are able. Then she vanished again, and Homura and Madoka started clearing up, folding up the titanic map so that it was only about a foot square and a couple inches thick. We hardly ever had the space to get out the whole thing to look at it.

And yet, still, in all this time, Kyouko didn't pull away. I didn't even realise she could keep still this long. I was starting to feel restless myself, actually. What were you supposed to do when the person you loved lay against you, anyway? I kinda wanted to stroke her hair, but that felt a little… Personal. As did hugging her any tighter, or kissing her head, or anything like that. But was it okay to just leave her?

"Sorry to keep everyone waiting!" Mami called as she entered the living room, laden down by a tray piled high with food. Nagisa followed her closely, similarly burdened. A full half of it would probably end up in Kyouko's stomach, eventually. I swear she has hollow legs.

"At last!" Kyouko cried, springing out of my grasp at the first sight of plated food. I sighed as subtly as I could, trying to hide my mixture of disappointment and relief.

Dinner was pretty great. Better with company, and the wait for it. We started off almost in silence, happy to just dig in. It wasn't anything vastly complicated, but it was hot food made well, and Mami had a special way of just making anything taste fantastic. I almost envied Nagisa, for getting to eat Mami's food every day.

Madoka got the conversation going fairly quickly though, and pretty soon the five of us (as a rule, Homura didn't speak unless spoken to directly) were in full swing, laughing and chatting and generally having a great time. It was a far cry from how things had started, really. When we first got together, it was a grim atmosphere indeed. Kyouko was reluctant to be in Mami's house again after so long, I was still trying to piece my spirit back together, Nagisa still cried at the drop of a hat, and Madoka was stretched pretty thin with the stress of it all.

But look at us now! Mami was beaming with pride and the content of a girl that didn't have to be lonely anymore, Kyouko was playing with a happy and excitable Nagisa, Madoka looked as comfortable and contented as anyone I'd ever seen, and I'm sure I looked pretty happy too, even though I hadn't actually wanted to socialise in the first place. Homura, on the other hand… Well, she always looked the same, really.

After we'd finished eating, we piled up our plates to the side (It took Kyouko quite a lot longer than us to do this) and got down to business. The mood dipped a little, but we were still in pretty high spirits as I produced my grief seed, and Homura retrieved the two she and Madoka had earned. As we always did, we placed them in the centre of the table, crowding around it and slowly fading into silence.

As one, we let our soul gems take their 'default' form, placing them in a tight ring around the grief seeds. Mine was looking ever so slightly cloudy, as was Nagisa's and Mami's. Madoka and Kyouko looked more or less fine, as usual, and Homura's was… Well, it was hard to tell, to be quite honest. The purple was pretty dark anyway. But then, the corruption flaked off us all like dandelion seeds, and there was a collective sigh in the room as I felt a weight lift from my shoulders as the grief seeds took in our despair and negativity in the form of a swirling black cloud.

It was a full ten seconds before Madoka broke the silence.

"Do… Do you think we could get another use out of these?"

I shook my head.

"Nah." Kyouko confirmed. "And even if we could, I doubt they'd keep until next time."

This was hardly any surprise. It was pretty rare to get more than one use out of anything below a level 4 for all six of us, even though we hardly deteriorated at all.

Mami nodded, grabbed her soul gem, and moved back, materialising one of her rifles with a solemn expression. This was the final part of our 'ceremony'. I leant forward and retrieved my own as the others did the same, moving the grief seeds so that they were in a line parallel to Mami's field of view. It had been Madoka's turn last week, and we rotated it in alphabetical order. It would be Nagisa's turn next, though Mami often did it for her. Gracefully, and without a flicker of breath or emotion, Mami took aim and fired, punching through all three grief seeds and blowing them apart. With a puff of coiling black smoke, they were gone.

Ever since we chased the Incubators out of the city (as far as we know) it became hard for us to dispose of grief seeds. It had been their job, after all. But we couldn't just leave grief seeds lying around, or keep using them, because they grow into Witches again. So, in the early days, there was quite a bit of debate as to what we should do about it.

Kyouko was the first to suggest destroying them. She knew that soul gems could be shattered relatively easily (I didn't ask her how she knew – I prefer to think that she was a witness, not a perpetrator) and Homura agreed that that the same should hold true for grief seeds. (Again, I'm not sure how she knew that either, but it wouldn't surprise me if there was some kind of dark secret to her.) It didn't feel particularly pleasant at first, knowing that you were permanently killing off what was once a Magical girl, but in the end it wasn't that much different from fighting a Witch normally.

The ceremony completed, the atmosphere brightened up again. With our soul gems in prime condition, it was much easier to get into a bright and cheery mood, and I totally forgot my woes with Kyouko, happy to laugh at her antics as she messed around with Nagisa and told jokes at the expense of all of us, and we didn't hesitate to return the favour.

"A-and then- And then-" Kyouko continued, having spent at least five minutes trying to set up some story about something I'd done. But every time she tried, Nagisa would tickle her, and the two would have to 'fight' it out until Kyouko could breathe well enough to talk again. "A-and then, once we'd defeated the Witch, right, Sayaka was closest to the seed. S-so I went-" Here she stopped again, picking up Nagisa by the midriff and carrying her over to Mami, who hugged her tightly to her chest. Nagisa pouted and squirmed, but Mami had gotten out a brush, and started to untangle her white mass of hair.

"So I went: 'Yo, Sayaka, go pick that up!' 'Cos I'm miles away, and she's right next to it. And she's all 'Okay!' And goes over to fetch it, trying to look all cool and stuff." Madoka giggled as Kyouko did a terrible impression of my voice and mimed me walking like some kind of action hero. I, on the other hand, stopped smiling. I knew exactly what she was getting at, and I didn't want her sharing that with-

"And it's, what, ten feet to the seed? And yet she still manages to trip on _something_, and she flies arse-over-elbow and lands flat on her face!" Nagisa and Madoka laughed at even that, but Kyouko silenced them by raising her hand as she tried to control her own mirth. I got to my feet, feeling my cheeks start to burn.

"Wait wait, that's not even the best part!" Kyouko said, sniggering to herself. "Because when she goes over, her skirt flies up, and she is wearing the most _childish-_"

"Stop it!" I cried, taking a step forward. But there was a table between us now, because Kyouko's war with Nagisa had moved her halfway across the room.

"She's wearing- She's wearing-" Kyouko stammered, her face red with the effort of telling the story. She broke down for a moment, gesticulating wildly without speech as Mami, Nagisa and Madoka started to laugh at her reaction as much as the story itself.

"-Has bloody teddy-bears all over it!" Kyouko finally finished, roaring with laughter and doubling over as I easily leapt the table in (what I considered to be) a majestic manner.

"Right!" I shouted, irritated but not really that angry, running toward her.

"Crap!" Kyouko swore, breathlessly ducking under my arms and taking off down the hall, still laughing at my expense.

"Hey! Get back here!" I cried, setting off in pursuit. Kyouko's fast, but I'm a natural sprinter.

Now, Mami's flat is pretty small. We actually ended up in the living room twice more, each time entering to see three faces creased with laughter and one with mild indifference. We weaved in and out of rooms, darted down halls, leapt over furniture and generally caused a ruckus for quite some time until I finally had her cornered in the bedroom. Weak with laughter, she tried to duck past me again, but she was slow enough that I caught her, grabbing her by the wrist and pulling her around.

At the last moment, she realised what was happening and pulled back, throwing me off-balance. Still holding her arm, we collided together, spun around and fell down onto Mami's bed.

Kyouko landed first, face up, lying on her back with an expression of alarm as I bore down on her. I imagine my expression was much the same.

With a 'whump' sound, I landed bodily on top of her, almost perfectly in line. We nearly smacked heads, but I pulled to the left at the last second, and my lips smudged hard against her cheek instead. It was warm and soft, and smelled of Kyouko.

All of Kyouko was warm, actually. A big part of me wanted to know exactly how warm. An even bigger part of me wanted to take my arms away from Kyouko's shoulders and wrap them both around her slender body, and a bigger part of me still was wondering what might have happened if I hadn't moved my head, and just kissed her square on the lips.

There was, however, a tiny part of my brain that wasn't completely obsessed with Kyouko, and it was very loud indeed. And it was telling that more than ten seconds had now passed, and Kyouko was probably feeling very uncomfortable.

She coughed quietly, and I jumped, leaping to my feet.

She still lay beneath me, her hair splayed out beneath her like a warm, comforting flame. In fact, it was lying a lot like when she had been asleep that morning, only now she was awake, staring at me, and blushing as red as a carnation. Her mouth was parted slightly, and I could see her adorable expression in perfect clarity as I felt myself staring back.

"Sh-Shaya…" She mumbled, soft as her expression in the privacy of Mami's bedroom. She looked so vulnerable, so defenceless, so… Nervous? But then, as suddenly as the moment had begun, her expression changed, and Kyouko was back. "Wh-what'd you trip me up for?"

"Me?" I said defensively, trying to buy myself enough time to come to terms with what I had just seen. I filed that image of her away for later consultation. "You tripped me up!"

"What? Did not! You started it, anyway." Kyouko said sulkily, rolling off Mami's bed and onto her feet with catlike grace.

"Me? You were the one telling _that_ story anyway. You know I get embarrassed about that."

"You were the one wearing the things!" She cried in defence of her actions. "Why were you wearing them anyway?"

"Like I said at the time, everything else was in the wash! Would you rather I wore nothing?"

"Yeah, but why do you still have a pair that looks that stupid?" Kyouko asked, her blush returning.

"Well, I just… Don't like getting rid of stuff…" I said, scowling and looking away. I was starting to realise I might be in the wrong, here.

"You hoarder, you. Can't even get rid of old underwear?"

"Shut up. You wouldn't understand anyway. Do you even have more than one set of underwear? You certainly don't have more than one set of clothes."

"Hey, shut up! Of course I do!" She said, striding past me. "That'd be disgusting."

"Oh, because there's nothing disgusting about anything else you do…" I shot back, following her as she headed out of Mami's bedroom and back toward the living room.

"Huh? Like what?" She asked, her hair swirling out wildly as she whipped around to face me.

"Well, aside from the way you eat…" I said, pretending to look thoughtful. "There's probably the fact that you never wash your hands."

"I do too! And besides, what's wrong with not washing them every five minutes? They're not dirty, and I never get ill anyway."

"Yeah, yeah. You know, sooner or later, you're going to have to face up to the fact that you're a girl." I said innocently as I walked past her.

"Wh-wha? How am _I_ not feminine?" She asked indignantly, poking her chest in emphasis.

"You really need a list?" I asked sarcastically. "Which reminds me. After we get back from the hunt, I'm gonna have to wash your hair. Do you even bother doing it yourself?"

"I do too! I get it wet and all, and I sometimes use shampoo!"

"_Sometimes?_ See, now that's just not good enough, Kyouko." I said, tutting. "You need to give it care and all."

"Well, whatever. We'll see when we get back, okay?" Kyouko replied in resignation.

"Good!" I replied, but inside, I was annoyed at myself for deciding something without thinking. How would I be able to do this, considering how weird I'd been over the last few days?

.0.

After we returned, things went back to normal pretty quickly. I received a few quips and remarks. (Mostly from Kyouko) but I more or less managed to live the whole thing down. Possibly because Madoka's too nice to keep on about it, and Mami's too mature.

After another half-hour or so, Madoka announced that she had to get going, and Homura went with her, to the surprise of precisely nobody. And so, after we helped Mami and Nagisa clear everything away, (Well, I did, anyway. Kyouko mostly just lazed around. Mami, however, didn't seem to mind at all. This kind of worried me, a bit – Mami is basically the only person that Kyouko will listen to all the time, and is the only one that can really control her. But most of the time, she seems quite happy just to let Kyouko walk all over her. I think she puts too much of the blame on herself for what happened a year ago. Not that I really know what that was.) Kyouko and I said our goodbyes and got to work.

Saying goodbye when heading out on the hunt was… Odd. We all know in the back of our minds that this might be the last time we ever see the people we're bidding farewell to, but we never really put that across. Perhaps saying goodbye so informally is a kind of promise to return? I don't know. I think I put too much thought into this sort of thing.

As per usual, we headed straight downtown. As it was pretty late in the month, we normally only went down into the roughest areas when at least one of us was a veteran. Luckily, that wasn't a problem tonight, as I had Kyouko by my side. Of course, it wasn't always a matter of preference – if we detected a witch, we followed it no matter where it went. Familiars too, as much as Kyouko whined about it.

"I swear Homura spends her whole life looking at those stupid statistics…" Kyouko said as we cleared a whole street in a single bound from the rooftops. We'd spent a good ten minutes in silence, so I was glad to hear her attempt conversation.

"They aren't stupid…" I replied. "But they are weird. I mean, I think she goes too far."

"You think? Ain't it obvious?" Kyouko asked, glancing at me. "I mean, it's great that we can say 'oh, it was a level four, and it was 'liiiike, this big!' and all, but she's proper weird about it."

"You're not kidding! I mean, have you actually looked inside that book? It's less of a statistics theorem and more of an encyclopaedia of all things Witch." I said, gesturing to imply the size of the book. "It's not just locations and classifications, either. It's got the date we killed it, the strength rating with a detailed description of its weapon and how it fought, a description of its appearance and that of the familiars and labyrinth. She even writes about what kind of person the witch might have been, and the wish they might have made. It's mad!"

"You know, she could probably make a fortune if she published that as fiction…" Kyouko mused, smiling.

"You know, it'd be pretty cool if we published it for Magical girls to buy, actually. It might be good for them to know what sort of things they're up against." I replied thoughtfully.

"Man, that would be a tough read though, wouldn't it?" Kyouko asked with a laugh, as we dropped down four storeys and into an alleyway. We stopped to draw our soul gems and check for a signal.

"And I didn't even know you _could _read…" I said absent-mindedly, staring at my gem.

"Hey-"Kyouko began, but I stopped her with my hand.

"I-I'm getting a signal, here!" I said, sounding excitable and stupid.

"Huh?" Kyouko asked, moving her gem over next to mine. She picked it up too. "Oh yeah! Looks to be… This way." She said thoughtfully, pointing down deeper into the alley. She looked serious and mature, especially for her.

I nodded, and we hurried down the side-street, our magic granting us a pretty incredible running speed. We checked our gems every so often as we wound deeper and deeper into the maze of tunnels and alleyways in the city, getting ever closer to the source of the signal.

"You know, we seemed to have picked this signal up from quite a way away…" I said, as the signal got yet stronger. We were close.

"Well, it's pretty late in the month. It's gonna be pretty strong." Kyouko said, as if it wasn't something she had been told by Homura.

I looked around as we entered a final alley. The trace of the Witch was strong, now, its unique signature flashing brightly upon our soul gems. As one silent body, we took a few steps forward, Kyouko drawing her spear one-handed as I drew one of my own swords.

With a dull flash and an unidentifiable series of sounds, our gems resonated with the Witch barrier and tore open a portal.

"Here we go, Kyou…" I murmured feeling much more dramatic than usual. This far into the underbelly of the city, it was pitch black and lonely.

"What do you think it's doing all the way back here?" She asked, approaching more cautiously than she normally would.

"Dunno." I replied, looking around. "Doesn't look like it gets a lot of traffic back here…"

"Ah! We have needles!" Kyouko cried, after a few moments of silence. She scuffed at the used little instruments, flicking them away distastefully.

"Eww." I replied, looking away.

"Oh, grow up. You don't catch anything nasty from looking," the red-haired Magical girl replied, clearly poking fun at me. "Just don't touch 'em."

"I know that!" I shot back, nudging her. "Stop making light of it! It's gross."

"Hey, don't judge until you've been in the same situation." She replied, shrugging.

"Don't tell me you've tried that stuff." I asked, frowning as I looked over at her.

"Me? Of course not! You'd know if I did. But I don't judge." Kyouko answered dismissively.

"Whatever." I said, shivering at the thought of using those things. "Let's just make Mitakihara a safer place for everyone?"

"Ever my Ally of Justice, huh Sayaka?" Kyouko asked with her familiar impish grin, nudging me as gently as one could expect from her.

"Don't forget, you're one of us too, now." I shot back, as I regained my balance.

"Damn right I am. And I'm doing a better job than you, newbie."

"Hey, I'm pretty experienced, now!" I returned, though I didn't feel all that experienced.

"Yeah, compared to, what, a pigeon?"

"Oh, shut up…" I said with a scowl, breaking into a jog. "Let's just get this over with."

"I like the way you think!" Kyouko replied, breaking into a run by my side. Before long, we were running at full tilt, charging through that disorientating series of dimension barriers, each one a surreal art gallery. Then, we pushed through the final one, and entered the personal dimension of the Witch.

The first thing I noticed was the scale. It was fairly unusual for the landscape inside a labyrinth to be set outside, or at least anywhere that was open. But this labyrinth was both, and it seemed huge.

It was a sprawling but largely featureless landscape, something akin to a savannah only without most of the grass. There were only a few trees, too – all distant, but twisted, ill-looking and seemingly made of stone with some kind of dull crystal for leaves. I wondered if the 'world' was actually real that far away, or if the Barrier ended before then.

The other main difference between this and a real savannah was that it was dark, and grey. Everything was grey. The grass was grey, the earth was near-black and looked oddly scorched, and the sky was grey too, covered entirely by thick grey clouds that obscured any kind of light, if any existed. Yet still we could see – Witch barriers often ignored details like that. In many ways, it was a lot like one of the Witches I'd faced during my 'darker' phase, only… Much emptier.

"Something's wrong…" I murmured, and Kyouko nodded in agreement.

I couldn't recognise any elements of the alleyway at all. This was bad. You see, when a witch sets up a barrier, it maintains elements of the scenery it replaced inside the barrier. Like, for instance, the first Witch that Madoka and I ever saw was some kind of weird, rose-based Witch with a garden. But because we were still in a car park, there was still stuff like police tape and road signs knocking about. As a rule, the stronger the Witch, the less real-world elements were preserved inside the barrier, as the Witch is strong enough to keep its world and the real world separate. The only exception to this that I know of is that 'Walpurgisnacht' thing that supposedly doesn't use a barrier at all. It sounds brutal.

But this Witch was somewhere around here, and Walpurgisnacht was… Well, somewhere. Wherever Witches were when they were dormant. I know which one worried me more right now.

We walked in silence for a good five minutes more, the largely featureless landscape becoming monotonous and threatening. I started to feel paranoid, not helped by an intense feeling of _aura_, something you only got with stronger Witches.

"Kyouko, this looks…" I began, looking about.

"Like a six?" Kyouko finished, twirling her spear nervously.

"Yeah. At least." I replied, as we backed slowly toward each other. It was suspiciously quiet.

"Look, Sayaka…" Kyouko said, making me jump. I turned to face her. "If you're nervous about this, I can go it alone…"

"The hell you can!" I returned, glaring at her for even suggesting something like that. Or implying that I was scared. "You'll get killed!"

"You think I didn't face worse, back in the day?" Kyouko asked accusingly. "I've not gone soft, you know."

"You don't know what this is!" I said, poking her chest. "And we _don't_ take risks like you did, in the old days. I'm not… I'm not gonna let you die just to do something so stupid."

"S-Sayaka…" Kyouko breathed for a moment, almost too faintly for me to hear. But she soon followed it up in her usual style. "What would you suggest, then?"

"I'm… I'm gonna call Mami." I said, to which she glared at me.

"What for?" She demanded angrily.

"In case we need her help! It's good to have backup! What's your problem anyway?"

"I don't wanna bother her with this! It's our night, and our problem!"

"We band together on nights like this! We always do! Do you not want Mami's help or something?"

"No!" Kyouko shouted, before her eyes went wide, and she raised her hands. "I-I mean, I do, but… I don't… I don't like fighting alongside Mami, Sayaka… It hurts…"

"It hur- Oh, Kyouko…" I said, my expression softening. I didn't realise things were still rough between them. They looked so happy together at Mami's house.

"I don't need your sympathy!" Kyouko cried, turning away. It felt like she'd just pierced my heart with that spear of hers.

"Kyouko…" I sighed, stepping closer to her. I gingerly reached out and placed my hand on her shoulder. She flinched, but didn't pull away. "What about everything you said? About not being alone anymore?"

"So what?" She huffed, still looking away.

"You shouldn't have to deal with all of this yourself…" I continued, giving her a gentle squeeze. I glanced about – we were still alone for now.

"Why shouldn't I? It's not your problem, or Mami's. It's mine." Kyouko growled, still closed to me. It hurt to see her this way.

"Was Kyousuke ever your problem?" I asked, pulling her around to face me a little. She didn't resist, though it would have been easy for her. "Was… Was me going nuts and turning into a Witch really ever _your_ problem?"

"Of course it fucking well was!" Kyouko shouted, rounding on me. There were tears welling in her eyes.

"Why?" I asked, glad she was finally paying attention to me.

"Because I- B-because you're my friend, and I need you!" Kyouko said, faltering as if she'd almost said something else.

"You think I don't need you, Kyouko?" I asked, raising a thumb to her cheek and wiping away a tear. She sniffed, but didn't pull away. "Do you think you aren't… My most precious friend, Kyouko? You saved my life, Kyouko… Don't try and stop me from helping you out when you so clearly need it."

My words seemed to calm her down a little. Her shoulders sagged, and she looked down. She twirled her spear dejectedly, stabbing it firmly into the ground. Then, both hands free, she wrapped her arms around me, giving me a gentle hug. I smiled as warmly as I could, squeezing her gently to her chest.

"Can we… Talk about this later, Sayaka?" She asked softly, looking up at me. "Like… After the hunt?"

"Sure, Kyouko…" I replied, squeezing her again.

"Thanks." She mumbled, slipping gracefully from my grasp, wiping her face with a sleeve and retrieving her spear with a turn and a flourish. By the time she was facing me again, she'd whipped a box of pocky from her pocket, and was removing a stick with her teeth. "Now, let'sh go." She said with gritted teeth. Serious Witch-hunt Kyouko was back.

"Sure thing." I replied, drawing a sword. "Any ideas about this Witch?"

"None. Kyouko replied, surveying the landscape. "Thish one looksh to be a bit… Weird."

"See, if we told Homura more about the Witches we fought…" I said, but Kyouko stopped me.

"And give her the shatisfaction of _another_ accurate prediction? I'd rather let the Witches win." She muttered, chewing through the stick with a series of well-practiced lip movements.

I laughed as genuinely as I could in the situation. "Seriously though, I think we should get Mami on standby here. Just to have her close if we need her."

Kyouko flinched and looked a tiny bit pained, but eventually relented. "Alright, alright… But we won't need her anyway."

"If you're so sure, why does it matter to you?" I asked with a smile as I caught her out, reaching into my pocket to grab my phone. It was a weird sensation, as my uniform didn't technically have pockets.

"It doesn't!" She huffed, as I called her on speed dial. She was number 3, after mum and dad.

The phone barely rang for a few seconds, before Mami picked it up, sounding breathless.

"Sayaka!" She cried. "Is everything alright?"

"Ummm… Right now, yes, later… Maybe not so much." I said as conversationally as I could, looking around us. We were still alone. It was unheard of to remain undetected for so long.

"What is it, Sayaka?" Mami said. She still sounded concerned.

"Ah, well… We're in a Witch barrier now… And it looks… Ominous?"

"Ominous how, Sayaka?"

"Well, I don't want to worry you unnecessarily, but it looks to be a six or so." I said, as Kyouko and I started to move deeper into the labyrinth.

"A six? A-are you two alright?"

"At the moment, yes." I said, watching as the landscape rippled slightly. That wasn't right. Was it just a trick of the eye? "Look, Kyouko thinks that we can handle it alone, but I wanted you on call as backup. That okay?"

"Yes, of course." Mami said quickly. "I've already put Nagisa to bed. Where are you both?"

"Just down… Just down an alleyway in the rougher side of town. We picked up the trail heading southeast from your flat, down toward the river."

"I… Think I know where you mean." Mami replied, sounding thoughtful. "I'll be there as quick as I can."

"Thanks, Mami." I said, relieved to have her as backup. "Just wait outside, and I'll call you again if we're in trouble."

"Okay, Sayaka." Mami said. "Thanks for calling me. I'll see you two outside the Witch barrier!"

"Sure thing!" I replied, more cheerful than I felt. "See you soon!"

"Bye!" Mami called out, and the phone went dead. I put it back in my pocket, smiling over at Kyouko.

"There we go." I said, trying to sound enthusiastic.

"Great. Can we find that Witch, now?"

"Care to point out a direction?" I asked, sweeping my sword out in a wide arc. "This place is _empty._ There aren't even any familiars."

"It's starting to creep me out, actually." She replied, twirling her spear again nervously.

"Starting?" I asked incredulously.

"Well, yeah. Only starting, see, because I'm a lot braver than you are."

"Whatever." I replied, unwilling to start another argument. "Still it's not good to stay in a labyrinth this long…"

"I don't see why. This place is empty. Does a Witch ever leave its labyrinth behind?" She asked, although she must have known I couldn't answer. She'd seen almost every Witch I'd ever fought. "Or to Homura's numbers neglect to tell us that?"

"Stop being so difficult…" I replied, still looking around. The ground definitely rippled again, some way off. I'm sure it wasn't any kind of distortion. "But I genuinely don't think we're alone, here."

"Ooh, maybe the Witch and her familiars are invisible?" Kyouko asked, in a sarcastically spooky voice. I gave her a look that said 'stop it, you're not making this any better'. Or I tried to, at least.

"What?" She asked indignantly. "It's happened before."

"Seriously?" I asked, as the ground rippled again, closer this time. It was an odd sensation, like a hill just… Moving, or sliding away. I could have sworn there were trees when we first entered, or something close to it. But now when I looked… Nothing.

"Yeah! It was this one time, I…" Kyouko kept talking, likely revisiting some heavily embellished tale of her slaying an invisible Witch. But I'd stopped listening, because I'd noticed something high in the sky, a twinkling yellow dot that almost seemed to be… Heading straight for us.

"I hate to interrupt, Kyouko," I said, perfectly happy to cut across her. "But I think I've found something." I finished, pointing at the dot as it grew larger.

Kyouko scowled at my interruption, before turning to follow my gaze.

"Yeah, that's definitely… We should move." Kyouko said, changing tone rapidly.

"Mm." I nodded in agreement, and we prepared to evade.

Just in case the mysterious glowing yellow object was able to home in on us in some way, we waited until the last possible second before leaping apart, our magically infused bodies propelling us high above the weird, blackened terrain.

I landed some twenty feet away, just in time to see the yellow thing hit the ground. Only it didn't. The best way I can describe it is as if it fell into water, though there was scarcely a splash, and the ground it hit had been solid moments before. Kyouko and I had been standing on it. Still feeling confused, I stood up straight, cautiously approaching the place where the curious yellow orb had vanished. The ground, despite still being solid earth, began to ripple and bubble, and I frowned.

"What is it?" Kyouko asked, coming up behind me. I just shrugged, pointing at the bubbles. As a Magical girl, I'd seen far weirder in my time, but this was pretty damn surreal.

"Kyouko, I think we should probably get back…" I warned, retreating a step.

Suddenly, the ground rippled and burst beneath us. We were thrown apart, and I landed hard on my back. Kyouko rolled to her feet easily on landing, twirling her spear defensively as she looked for me.

"Sayaka!" She shouted urgently, as I pulled myself up. "I found out where the Witch is! It's-"

A deafening, shuddering shriek ripped its way through my mind, and the ground between us stretched and warped impossibly to form a spiked pillar of blackened earth, twenty feet tall and topped by a huge yellow eye, glowing like a lantern and held in place by an ornate framework of black wires that twisted around its base and formed a sort of cage around it. This was the Witch, and the whole barrier was its body.

The ground beneath my feet became lumpen and started spouting thick black vines coated with thorns. They gripped me and tore at my flesh, but I cut through them and leapt away. It would take more than that to do me any lasting damage.

The pillar grew a great horizontal wheel of blades, slicing at me. Again, I jumped away, unable to fight back against a whole world at once.

Of course, Kyouko could. The middle of the pillar suddenly burst open, and Kyouko leapt through the hole she had torn through it, a whirling fire of destruction and blades. Not that it made much difference. It grew back immediately, and the ground where she almost landed became a nest of spikes, impossibly long and thin. They glinted like steel.

However, Kyouko's conviction was stronger still. Her spear ripped the ground apart at her command, and then she leapt away, suddenly crouched by my side.

"This one's pretty hard-core, huh?" Kyouko said, flashing me one of her signature grins.

"Any ideas?" I said, as the vines erupted ground the ground once more, and we fought them off together. Two Magical girls in synchronisation were all but unstoppable.

"My best guess? Hit the eye." The fiery-haired beauty replied, pointing at the glowing yellow orb. It stared balefully back.

I nodded, forcing an opening with both swords, slicing through vines like a professional. My path clear, I hurled a sword point first, spinning round before throwing a second.

The Witch merely threw up a second pillar from the ground around it and my swords thudded harmlessly into the hardened earth. My heart sank.

"You know, I don't think we can hurt this thing by attacking the ground, or the vines…" I called to Kyouko, as she tore apart a thicket of the rapidly growing thorns. It was pretty difficult to, though, as the ground beneath us was constantly shifting, bulging, dipping or fracturing to reveal razor-sharp edges and spikes.

"Pretty big challenge then, huh?" The fiery Magical girl replied, striking at the pillar's eye like a scorpion. The pillar shifted, bending away just out of Kyouko's reach.

"Damnit!" Kyouko shouted angrily, snapping her weapon back. As if in response, the Witch roared again, and the ground became needles beneath us. I grimaced with pain, leaping up as high as I could, while Kyouko shrieked with agony, joining me in the sky and throwing up a chain barrier on the floor. I landed on one knee, glowing staves wreathing my feet as I healed myself. Kyouko didn't land so easily, rolling onto one side to absorb the impact without using her feet.

"Kyouko!" I shouted, quickly crossing the space between us on the flat, stable barrier thrown up by my comrade.

"I'm fine!" Kyouko gasped, unable to 'walk it off'. "Just got feet like a colander."

"Here, let me get that…" I replied, healing her as quickly as I could while the Witch hammered on the underside of Kyouko's chains. Not that my fiery love-interest could be thwarted so easily. The chains held, blocking the vines and spikes from touching us at the same time as preventing the Witch from going anywhere.

"Alright, alright, I'm better now…" Kyouko said impatiently, rolling up onto feet that were caked with blood. We magical girls can bleed an awful lot without it us doing a great deal of harm. "Let's go bag us a Witch!"

"I'm starting to think we should get Mami involved, Kyou…" I warned, as we took off, heading straight for the unprotected Witch.

"I'm confident we'll be fine on this one, Sayaka. Don't be such a wuss!" Kyouko replied, her voice a pillar of confidence even taller than the pillar we approached. Her spear was in its single stage right now, ready to break apart at any moment.

"Fine…" I muttered without much enthusiasm, speeding up. Below us, I could hear the metallic thuds of the witch hammering violently against its bonds. A few tentacles wormed their way from outside Kyouko's barrier, striking at us with serpentine motion. Nothing the two of us couldn't tackle with ease. Then, the Witch started casting off small amounts of its body in the form of hardened spikes and things got a lot harder for me.

Not for Kyouko though, of course. With barely a thought, her single weapon became a storm of chain and unbreakable wood, and she could take on a dozen targets without even trying. With a mighty leap, she easily overtook me and soared above the storm of spikes, preparing some kind of strike on that eye.

Suddenly the ground beneath me bulged and ruptured, and the chains set up by Kyouko shattered. My vision was filled with twinkling red pieces of magical chain, and my lower half was consumed by spikes. I cried out, genuinely injured this time, my healing magic working overtime as I hacked my way out, pain coursing through every fibre of my being as my muscles were slashed through, only to be reknitted so that I could move that little more before they were cut again.

I broke free of the ground, my stockings now just ribbons stained red with my blood. I glanced up at Kyouko just as she struck.

Illuminated by the tainted sunlight like some kind of angel, Kyouko spun, lashing out with all her might. Her fragmented spear, a ring around her body, snapped out like a whip, extending twenty, thirty feet from her hand. Like lightning she struck – too quick even for the Witch to react. She caught it with the tip of her blade, cutting the eye deep into its side. The force of Kyouko's attack launched it far away across the barrier, soaring in a graceful arc across the blasted grey landscape.

As soon as the eye was a good fifty feet away or so, the pillar crumbled to the ground, the floor stabilised and the vines shrank back. For a moment, I thought Kyouko had managed to kill it in a single blow. But then I saw the ground rise to catch the eye far in the distance like a baseball player's mitt, and I knew we were just getting started.

"Kyouko…" I murmured, looking her way as she landed gracefully beside me.

"Jeez, Sayaka, you're looking rough. You okay?" She asked, nodding toward my legs. They were totally wreathed in staves.

"Don't worry about me, Kyouko. I'm fine. But I think the Witch is, too…"

"Oh, yeah." Kyouko said, in an almost conversational tone. "In fact, she's gonna be _pissed._"

"I still think we should call Mami…" I said, as the pillar reformed itself in the distance and started to move toward us – fast.

"And I still think we've got this one…" Kyouko replied, readying her spear.

Then I saw the ripple. It started off small, pushing out in front of the Witch, but got bigger the closer it got. It was at chest height within seconds, and it was made purely of spikes.

A panicked heartbeat later, it was upon us. Anchoring myself in place with rings of glowing runes, I pierced the wave with the point of my sword, shattering it and diverting it about me. Kyouko used her spear like a pole-vault to leap over the wave, striking at the pillar as it barrelled past her, stopping between us with her spear-tip buried inside it, obviously to no effect. The eye turned to face Kyouko for a moment, and I took my chance to strike.

Given that the whole barrier was part of the Witch's body, it was pretty hard to do anything without the Witch noticing. I knew that I'd be sticking my neck out a little, but with a Witch this strong, there weren't any safe bets.

Infusing my limbs with magic, I leapt high into the air, racing toward our adversary with a sword held in both of my hands. I spun around like a top, changing my sword and slashing out at eye-height.

Now, like I've said a thousand times already, I'm no professional Magical girl. I've got a few months under my belt, now, but Kyouko's got more than three times that under hers, and she still says (When we're alone) that there's still a lot she could learn. So when I say that I'm clumsy and hopeless, I'm not just trying to make Kyouko look better, I mean it. The Witch obviously defended itself in some way when I struck, because my sword hit something solid, but thanks to the flash of light I produced when I attacked, and the way I couldn't exactly see where I was going, I honestly don't even know if I hurt it.

I landed heavily on both feet, facing away from the Witch. Blinking as I gained my bearings, I whipped around, drawing a second sword from nowhere.

As I had planned, I was now standing by Kyouko's side, feeling pretty brave. Kyouko looked simply heroic, holding her spear head-first out in front of her.

"Sayaka!" Kyouko shouted, looking over at me. "Let's play a duet!"

I nodded, grinning enthusiastically. "Just like we practiced?"

"Damn right! Show this Witch why we're in charge!" She replied, returning the grin in her beautifully wild way.

I drew four swords and charged them with my magic, levitating them point-upwards around me. Meanwhile, Kyouko charged the head of her spear, such that it burst into red flames, while my swords glowed like luminescent water. Kyouko pointed her spear at me, point-first, and I sent my swords to her, five tips meeting together such that my blades formed a sort of pyramid around her spear head. Then, as we made our attack even stronger, my blades spinning about her spear to form a drill surrounded by musical staves with blue and red fighting for dominance, Kyouko spun her spear at top speed, drove the tip into the ground and flicked it forward with all her might.

She kept her spear, but the energy she had channelled into it remained, the whirling mass of blades and hissing, sparking energy ploughed through the ground, ripping a great furrow a foot wide through the earth in a straight line toward the pillar. The Witch tried to retreat, but our combined attack tore its way up the pillar, ripping it apart violently as it headed straight for the eye.

The pillar widened at the top, condensing as much mass as it could to protect itself in the scant moments it had. Our strike hit the top of the pillar with a deafening boom that echoed out across the remarkably still landscape, a mis-mash of blues, reds and purples and a storm of blackened stone chunks that rained harmlessly down upon us. The eye was blasted straight up into the sky, and I cheered as the whole world screeched in pain.

"Nice one, Kyou!" I roared over the deafening shriek, offering a high five. She returned the gesture with all her usual bone-breaking enthusiasm.

"Oh, I can't take all the credit, Sayaka…" She replied with a grin, suddenly entwining my fingers in hers and offering me her box of pocky. Unwilling to let her go, I took a stick with my free hand, popping it into my mouth with an appreciative nod.

Then we felt the ground rumble beneath us.

"Kyouko… Shouldn't the barrier have dissolved by now?" I asked, my gaze returning to the sky. Something small, orange and very ominous was falling at an alarming speed.

"Aww, crap." The redheaded Magical girl muttered in response, releasing my hand.

Three spires rose from the ground, each one eighty feet apart. They hemmed us in in a wide circle, the earthen spires stretching impossibly thin to catch the eye about sixty feet above us. For a moment, it hung above us, looking like one of those massive satellites they use to pick up radio waves. Then the spikes began to rain down. I raised my swords to defend myself, but Kyouko protected us both – whirling that spear of hers about her head like a helicopter. I didn't know she could spin it so fast. The spikes splintered and were smashed aside by Kyouko's strength, but I couldn't help but wonder how long she could keep it up. I looked over at her.

"Call Mami." She growled, her face desperate.

"Y-yeah!" I replied, dematerialising my swords as I dropped them in my haste, fumbling around in my imaginary pockets for my phone. I retrieved it almost instantly, hammering on the '3' button and lifting it to my ear. The sound of Kyouko's struggle was deafening.

The phone didn't even ring twice before Mami answered.

"I-is something wrong?" She asked, her voice tense.

"Yeah, we need your help." I said simply, glancing up at Kyouko. "Kyou's holding it for now, but I don't think she'll be able to stop it much longer."

"Alright, I'm on my wa-" Mami began, but I interrupted her.

"No, wait! I need to tell you! The _whole barrier is the Witch!_" I pressed, clutching the phone tightly to my face.

"Understood." Mami replied, and the phone went dead.

"She'll be here any second!" I called up to Kyouko, who nodded.

"We'll be stuck here 'till she turns up, then!" Kyouko shouted back, almost forced down onto her knees. I wish I knew how to help.

"Anything I can do?" I asked, feeling rather pathetic, ducked as I was under Kyouko's protective barrier.

"Having you here is enough." Kyouko replied, glancing down at me for a moment, then back up at the Witch.

"Huh?" I asked, dragged out of the atmosphere of our near-death situation. Did she just-

"Forget I said anything." The wild redhead said firmly, not looking my way.

"No, really, what-"

A bang rang out in the distance, clearly different from the shattering crash of Kyouko's infallible defence. It could only mean one thing.

Suddenly, there was a hail of similar bangs, and the number of spikes hitting Kyouko's spear dropped to zero for the briefest of moments.

"Move!" Mami shouted, her voice a beacon of stoic determination and hope.

I ran first, Kyouko hot on my heels. The ground rippled and tried to grab us as we ran, but the distracted efforts of a Witch desperately trying to protect itself from three-dozen flintlock rifles blasting pieces of it apart.

Mami was some fifty yards away from the Witch itself, bombarding it with as much cannon fire as she could muster.

"I'm glad you two called me, Sayaka. I was starting to get worried." Mami said, as we staggered over to her. We seemed to be just out of range of the Witch's attacks.

"I'm glad we did too." I muttered, looking myself over for wounds. Surprisingly, I didn't have any. Kyouko must have protected me pretty well. The Magical girl in question, however, hadn't fared quite so perfectly as I. There wasn't anything serious, but her skin and regalia were littered with scratches and scrapes from impossible shards of shattered earth, and she was bleeding much more than I'd like.

"Kyou, you're bleeding… Let me get that." I said, calling on my magic.

"H-hey, don't waste your- Oh, whatever." Kyouko said, resisting at first, before giving in and letting me knit her wounds closed. In the meantime, Mami kept the Witch at bay with her bombardment. Her aim was almost perfect, compared to mine. With the two veterans around, I couldn't help but feel pretty clumsy and useless in combat beside them. Kyouko was bad enough, with her lithe form and staggering array of attacks, but Mami was even better, and actually managed to hit the eye a couple of times as it threw up layer after layer of hardened earth to protect itself. The three supports crumbled as it dropped back onto a pillar, and for the first time, it actually looked like it was on the defensive.

As a unit, we descended upon the Witch. Like acrobats we darted about the sea of shifting earth and ravenous thorns, binding a world in ribbon and chain and holding it in place with a hundred swords. Mami was a relentless storm, a hail of magical bullets lancing through the skies from every direction, each one hitting exactly where she planned it, locking things up tight with the cancelling power of her ribbons. Already, a dozen pillars to support the Witch had been formed, frozen by our powers and then abandoned, monoliths in the shifting landscape. If Mami was the storm, then Kyouko was lightning. She blocked a few things with her chains, but mostly she flitted about the Labyrinth like a spark, striking out with her spear like a scorpion and leaving brutal gashes and craters wherever she struck. Mostly, I felt as if I struggled to keep up, but I wasn't without my uses. Unlike Kyouko, or even Mami, I could take a hit or two. I won't say I deliberately got myself injured at any point, but I spent most of that time blocking attacks meant for the powerhouses, and if those attacks occasionally slipped past my blades and struck my body instead, it wasn't the end of the world, even if it did hurt.

Feeling like a third wheel, I landed as I watched Kyouko and Mami's master plan came into action. Finally, Mami had locked down enough of those spikes and vines and pillars to hold it in place long enough to hook a ribbon around its twisted metal cage and rip it loose from its realm. Kyouko anchored one ribbon in place with her spear as Mami swung it out in a great wide arc, releasing the ribbon and pulling loose the one tied around her neck. With a mighty flourish, she drew the ten-foot cannon that had captured my imagination all those months ago, took aim and fired with an earth-shattering boom.

And she missed. Mami's look of plain disbelief was the most powerful, but my mouth fell open too. I'd actually begun to suspect that Mami never missed.

Against the odds, the Witch had managed to throw up a spike, severing Mami's ribbon and casting it out wide. There was a rather embarrassing silence as the eye soared away from us, still trailing what was left of Mami's ribbon.

"S-sorry, everyone." Mami said, dropping to the ground.

"Not your fault." Kyouko replied, actually panting slightly.

"It's coming back…" I warned, as a pillar reformed itself, racing our way. It was smaller this time, and glinted like steel. The Witch had started learning.

Before Mami could even draw her rifles, the Witch was upon us. The sheer power of the shockwave it gave off as it crashed into the still forest of spikes and pillars we had made from its attacks was enough to tear ribbons and shatter chains, and all our work was undone in an instant. We had wounded the Witch a few times, but we were almost back at square one.

It sent out another ripple of spikes, that Kyouko and I leapt over while Mami blasted a hole straight through it. As I landed, I got my first good look at the Witch.

Instead of being the roughly-hewn earthen pillar made solid that it was before, the earth had somehow condensed into some kind of shining black stone like obsidian, forming a ring of blades that ran up the length of the pillar. The tip of the pillar was no longer topped by the eye. From most angles it was pointed, the pillar seemed to be topped with a bulging cone, which I realised was actually a sort of hood, when it turned toward me. The hood was edged and sharp like Kyouko's spear, and the eye glared hatefully at us from beneath its stony cowl as we waited for its next attack.

It was wounded more severely than I initially thought, actually. There were a number of gashes and holes in its form, and brackish orange liquids sprayed out with every motion it made. It was probably the closest thing this monster had to bleeding.

Then, as if it had finished calculating us, its whole demeanour changed. To her surprise, it rounded on Kyouko, the pillar racing toward her with sudden and alarming speed we had never seen before. Kyouko danced out of the way, blocking blades that speared out of its body as best she could, but it just kept coming.

"Little help?" She called, but I had already swung into action. Mami and I pursued it as best we could, but with so few weaknesses there was little we could do. My blades bounced harmlessly off its armoured hide as I threw them, and Mami's bullets had the same effect. The Witch threw up great spikes to stab and slow Kyouko as she dodged, but she leapt between them like a hare, springing from spike to spike as they formed. But no matter how much she weaved or dodged, the pillar was right on her tail. She made a majestic leap for clear ground, using her sear like a pole vault to gain herself some extra distance. For just a moment, she was clear of the Witch's attacks.

"Kyouko!" Mami cried, rushing past me as if I didn't exist. "Use Rosso Fantasma!"

"Huh?" Kyouko grunted, glancing over at her. And in that tiny moment of hesitation, I saw hell unfold before my eyes.

The Witch caught up in a fraction of a second, slamming into Kyouko's middle with a sickening crunch. It smashed her to the ground, dragging her twenty feet across the rippling landscape.

Mami cried out, stumbling, but I was past her already. I saw in my eyes a flash of what I had been a few months ago, able to shut out everything and focus solely on destruction. Nothing mattered to me then, until Kyouko had taught me how to live again. But now, one thing and one thing alone did matter, and she was about to die. Months of training, of conservation, of efficiency, of risk assessment were all forgotten in an instant. Power flooded through my system as I bounded; one step, two steps, three – and then I was upon the Witch, still forcing itself through Kyouko's slim body. I channelled my power into both of my blades, striking out like anyone possessed. Barbed tentacles rose from its form as I slashed, ripping at my skin and clothing, but I was far beyond anything so petty.

Then, Kyouko was in my sights, impaled by that impossible spire of land that I despised. It took me a long moment to realise that I had actually ripped my way through its entire body.

That foul, glowing yellow eye stared hatefully down at me, and I heard that groaning, shuddering shriek burst my eardrums. Not that I cared. My swords glowed blue and crackled with energy as I straightened up, ramming them both to the hilt inside that monstrous eyeball.

It bellowed, this time in pain, pulling out of Kyouko and rearing back, vile yellow liquids spraying forth from its wounds. I fell to kyouko's side, watching as Mami's shots rang out in the desolate cold, puncturing its eyeball time and again. Each shot anchored it in place with her ribbons, and with her expression like death, she formed that gigantic cannon once again, took aim, and fired.

Mami's aim was perfect, and the eye was blown to pieces, my cloak was singed with my proximity to the explosion. Not that I cared. As soon as the Witch's death throes began, my attention was solely upon Kyouko.

There was a gaping, ragged hole straight through the middle of her gut, and I could see the ground through her as it shattered and melted away into the alley. There was blood everywhere. I think she had lost consciousness by that point. She might have even been dead. But I patched her up all the same. Every reserve I had, each tiny ounce of my being went into my magic, and I could feel it. Her flesh boiled, rippled and then grew back, but it looked too late. Her gem was corrupting at a rate I'd never seen before – I was losing her. I closed my eyes as tears clouded my vision entirely; pouring everything I had into my magic even as I felt Mami sharing the grief seed between Kyouko and myself.

After minutes that felt like years of heartbreak, I cracked my eyes open. I could still scarcely see straight, but her midriff was healed, and her gem, though cloudier than two weeks without a grief seed, was stable.

"Kyou…" I muttered dully, grabbing her limp form by the shoulders and hugging her possessively to my chest. I lifted her higher, pressing my ear to her soft, warm chest.

_Thump thump… Thump thump… Thump thump…_

The sound was more beautiful than any other, before or since. It was harmonious, melodic and powerful, and brought fresh tears to my eyes.

"Oh god, I'm so sorry…" Mami murmured, from somewhere to my left. Instinctively, I bundled Kyouko up protectively in my arms so that she was lying with her back against me, her head resting against my chest. My vision was still blurry, so I blinked a few times, glaring up at her.

"Sorry? What was _that?_" I demanded. What had she even said?

"It was… It was… It was something from the old days… I had a flashback…" Mami mumbled weakly, holding her head shamefully. I'd never seen her so apologetic and small. "Rosso Fantasma was something she could do, back before she lost her magic…"

"Lost her- What are you talking about?" I asked, my expression still the same. No matter how you cut it, she had still put _my_ Kyouko in danger. She'd almost gotten her killed.

"When she was your age, in the old days…" Mami began, sitting down before us. "She had magic specific to her wish, like you do, and all of us. She could control illusions. Manipulate reality in the minds of others, and so forth. Her speciality was to create doubles of her own body, a move I named Rosso Fantasma. It confused Witches and forced them to stop for a while. But when… When she lost her family, she rejected her wish, and lost nearly all of that ability. She can't use it in battle at all, anymore…" Mami finished in a solemn tone, now holding Kyouko's hand. I forced myself to breathe a little, to stay my anger and forgive Mami. It was only a mistake, after all. But… It was a stupid one! Kyouko had nearly died thanks to that flashback, regardless of how serious it was.

"Kyouko…" I breathed, squeezing her gently. "Why didn't you tell me?" My ears bubbled painfully as my eardrums repaired themselves.

"It's a point of humiliation for her, I understand…" Mami said, looking just as distraught as me. "It's forced her to become extremely creative to compensate. Her spear didn't used to break apart, you know?"

"No kidding…" I mumbled, still holding Kyouko. She'd never looked so… defenceless, before. She looked weak and vulnerable, two things that Kyouko would never appear as willingly.

"She is okay, right?" Mami asked me, as the seconds passed into minutes. Kyouko still hadn't stirred.

"She's weak, but she's alive. Just unconscious, I guess…" I said, looking down at her. She looked so harmless, so sweet… I bent down closer. I didn't much care if Mami saw. She knew anyway.

Brushing aside her hair, I planted a little kiss on her forehead, marvelling in the smoothness and softness of her flawless skin. Mami just shifted uncomfortably and squeezed Kyouko's hand. Was I being selfish, holding all of Kyouko while Mami just held her hand? Probably. Did I care? Not at the moment.

Suddenly, and much to my surprise, Kyouko groaned, stirring at last. I sat bolt upright faster than I thought possible, fighting to control a sudden blush. She lifted her head a little off my chest, and I loosened my grip so that she could move a little more freely.

"Mami…" She grunted, sounding drunken and disorientated. Mami, still sitting in front of her, leant forward.

"Kyouko?"

Reaching out, Kyouko punched her in the top of her head. Even as weak as she was at the moment, it must have hurt a lot, because the experienced Magical girl nearly crumpled.

"_Rosso Fantasm-_ Mami, what the fuck were you thinking?" Kyouko shouted angrily, trying to push herself up a little.

"I-I'm sorry, Kyouko! Mami cried, holding her head. "I really am! I-I just… It was a flashback, see, I-"

"Ah, whatever." Kyouko said dismissively. "I'm fine now, I guess. So no harm done." That was her way of accepting an apology. That was Kyouko all over. Her anger was like a flash of lightning, and she could totally switch emotion just as fast.

"W-well, that would be thanks entirely to Sayaka…" Mami said softly, pointing at me.

"Saya-" Kyouko began, looking down and placing her hand on top of mine thoughtfully. Then, suddenly, her head shot back, and she stared up at me. "S-Sayaka!"

"Hey there, soldier." I said in a smaller voice than I intended. "You gave us quite the scare back then…"

"Tell me about it…" Kyouko groaned, trying to sit up a little. "Now, be honest… How do I look?"

"Gorgeous." I replied, before my mind could remember that saying that was a horrible idea.

Kyouko must still have been feeling unwell, because she had a short coughing fit after that, and her face went rather red. So did mine, but for a slightly different reason.

"I-I mean, you're looking better now that I've put you back together…" I said, trying to hold myself together. To be quite honest, I just wanted to start crying again. "I could see the floor through your stomach."

"My stomach-" Kyouko began, looking down at where her uniform had been ripped apart by the Witch. Her whole midriff was showing. "D-don't look at that!" She said hastily, clapping both forearms over her bare stomach.

"Why on earth not, Kyouko?" Mami asked, looking bemused.

"I'm self-conscious! Shut up! Now let me go, so I can get up." Kyouko said, looking up at me again. Her face hadn't lost any of its redness.

"Kyou, you're still weak… At least let me give you a hand." I said gently reluctantly releasing her. "You almost died."

"I'm fine, really." She said, groaning with discomfort as she pulled herself up to her feet. I got up beside her, ready to catch her if she fell. "Trust me, I've had a lot worse and been a lot closer in my time, and I didn't have you on call to help me out."

"That so, Kyouko?" I asked, frowning sceptically. It was nice to see she still had a sense of humour. "And how did you get through without me?"

"Oh, I'm tougher than I look." Kyouko stated proudly, flexing her muscles. "I always bounce back in the end."

As much as I didn't believe her, I was impressed by how quickly she got back together, both physically and mentally.

"Look, I… Perhaps you two should take the rest of the night off? You could both probably use the rest…" Mami said cautiously.

"Well… Maybe…" I said, wincing a little. I didn't like the idea of leaving Mitakihara without a protector, even for one night. I'd seen what happened if we turned up just a little too late, so I didn't want to think about what might happen if we didn't turn up at all.

"I'd be happy to take over for the night…" Mami suggested helpfully.

"Not on your own." I said firmly, getting to my feet. Kyouko stood by my side, opting not to join in. "Not this late in the month."

"You're right… But it'd be unseemly to invite Homura out this late, and I've put Nagisa to bed already."

"Well, I'm out already, and I'm still okay." I replied, shrugging.

"I'm still fine!" Kyouko interjected, but I nudged her into silence.

"Are you sure?" Mami asked me, her gaze flickering over to Kyouko. "Can you get home by yourself?"

"No, _mum,_ I need Sayaka to hold my hand when I cross the road." Kyouko replied sarcastically, rolling her eyes.

"Kyouko, I know you've been through a lot just now, but the attitude isn't really appreciated at the moment." Mami said flatly, and Kyouko stopped in her tracks.

"Yeah, I can get home okay…" The long-haired Magical girl muttered sullenly.

"Thank you, Kyouko." Mami said, much more brightly. "I am still sorry for earlier, you know…"

"Of course I know, Mami." Kyouko said, slightly less defensive. "And I said I forgive you. People do stupid stuff, sometimes. We make mistakes, we mess around and we fuck up. But it's important to live without regrets, when you're a Magical girl. So even if something really bad did happen, you've gotta learn to let it go. You can't get it back, so just leave it in the past where it belongs. And hey, I'm still here. So nothing went wrong, did it? Learn from it, then move on. I forgive you."

The two of us stared at her in disbelief. From anyone, that would have been impressively insightful. But for a girl that considered farting under her armpit the height of wit, the times when she came out with that sort of comment was really astonishing.

"Ummm… Yes, Kyouko. That's… Still, I felt the need to apologise." Mami said hesitantly, clearly still taken aback.

"No worries, Mami." The redhead in question replied, stretching out her core a little. "Guess you two had better get going?"

"If you're sure you're gonna be okay…" I repeated, nudging her shoulder lightly. "I don't want anything happening to you.

"What's gonna happen to me? It's up to you two to take care of the Witches, and nobody's gonna lay a hand on me without losing it." Kyouko stated boldly, activating her soul gem and reverting to her school uniform.

"Remember, don't go to bed before I get back, Kyouko." I said, as Mami and I made to head deeper back into the alley. "I'm washing that rat's nest of yours tonight."

"Looking forward to it already!" She replied brightly, waving enthusiastically before strolling out into the street.

"Are you worried about her?" Mami asked, as we drew our soul gems.

"Not really." I replied truthfully. "You know Kyouko as well as I do. She can take care of herself, even in this area of the city. Hell, she probably could if she wasn't even a Magical girl."

"True, but… I can't help but worry about her, the same way I do Nagisa."

"That's only natural." I replied, surprised to be the one consoling Mami. Surely, it should be the other way around? "But if you… You know. Care about some that much, then you need to learn to trust them, I guess." The word 'love' doesn't come all that easy to me. I don't even know why! I'm an extrovert and everything!

"You're right, of course." Mami said, as our gems simultaneously picked up a signal. "But it is terribly hard for me to let go like that…"

"And I can understand why!" I replied reassuringly, as we took up the hunt. "But you're not even letting her go, really. She's just heading back to my place. You'll see her again tomorrow."

"Again, you're right. I even worry about Nagisa, sending her to elementary school like that."

"Now you're just being crazy." I said playfully, cuffing her shoulder lightly as we scaled a wall easily. One of the Witches that had been lurking nearby had dissolved its barrier and fled, but we gave chase from its magical signal. It wouldn't go far. They never did. "You know, I'm starting to feel like your senior, here."

Mami laughed softly. "Sorry, Sayaka. I know it's silly of me. I'm fine though, don't worry. All I really need is some company."

I smiled and nodded. "That's good news then, because I doubt any of us are going far."

After the death of what Mami and I are tentatively calling a level seven, for its sheer strength, scale and unusual nature, the Witch hunt was fairly easy. It was pretty uncommon for there to be more than one Witch on any given night, but this close to the full moon, there had been three hiding in that alley, and the other two had fled when we took down the 'seven'. They didn't put up much of a fight when we found them, either – mere level ones, one of which clearly an ex-familiar that had only just worked its way up into Witch-hood. Angry at myself for letting a familiar get this far in the city we protected, I slew it personally.

Mami and I used most of the first gem on ourselves – primarily me – to get us back in good form. The second, Mami gave to me, both for Kyouko, and to keep until the next meeting. She also promised me that at the next meeting, we would be discussing actual tactics, and bring Homura's precious statistics into play.

.0.

After that, the journey home was… Joyous? That's probably the wrong term. But I did feel really light and… I don't know, excited to be seeing Kyouko again? That's probably the best way I could describe it. I think I might be on some kind of high after seeing her back from the brink of death.

The threat of dying is something we have to live with every day as a Magical girl, and I'm acutely aware that my feelings don't amount for much when the Witches come calling. Just because of who we are, I have to accept that even a year from now might be too much to ask. But to spend it with her… It's a price worth paying, I think.

Sometimes, I wonder what my life might have been like if none of this had ever happened. If Madoka had never heard Kyubey calling to her that day, and if Homura had never transferred to Mitakihara middle school. We never would have gotten caught up in that Witch barrier, and we never would have met Mami. We never would have become Magical girls, in short. We'd live safer, more secure lives, I think. No lying to people, sneaking out at night to risk our necks killing things that, logic should dictate, don't exist. But Madoka would still be that kind-hearted but really shy and insecure girl, Mami would be all alone, so would Kyouko, and I… Christ, I would still be pining for Kyousuke.

Damn, Kyousuke. He would still be in the hospital, with no hopes and no future. Maybe it is better that all this happened, then? I've got no regrets anymore. A lot of things have gotten better since we contracted, even though the world has become a slightly less friendly place to call home.

After what felt like an age, I finally arrived home. Kyouko had left the door unlocked when she came back (of _course_ she had a spare key – she practically lived here!) so I walked straight in, turning back into a 'human' with a flash of blue light.

"I'm home!" I cried into the quiet house, locking the door behind me.

"Living room!" Kyouko called in reply, her voice clearly coming from said living room. I bounded lightly in, eager to see her again.

Kyouko was, as per usual, relaxing and eating. She was reclined sideways on one of my armchairs, uniform thrown carelessly on the floor so that she was wearing just her tank top and those ridiculous little denim shorts of hers. One foot dangled loosely on the ground, while the other was propped up on the arm of the chair. There was already an empty packet of my crisps on the floor beside her, and a half-eaten box of doughnuts that she must have bought on the way home from a 7-11.

"Hey, Sayaka." She said lazily, waving.

"Jeez, Kyouko. It's past midnight, and you're eating?" I asked incredulously.

"Looks that way. Guess I got bored. Want one?" She asked, holding one out for me.

"No! I'm watching my weight. And besides, I'll get terrible indigestion eating that sugary crap this late." I replied, pushing the disturbingly mouth-watering snack away. Truth be told, I did kind of want one. They looked great, and I hadn't had one in ages. But even with all the exercise I did these days, my metabolism is awful, and I put on weight really easily.

"Suit yourself." Kyouko replied, stuffing the doughnut into her mouth whole. She was a bottomless pit. "Now, we gonna wash my hair at some point?"

"Well, we'd better go in the bath, first." I replied, folding my arms. "Unless you don't wash anymore."

"Hey! I wash!" Kyouko shot back, sliding off the chair and onto her feet. "Just because I'm not some weird clean freak like you!"

"I'm not a clean freak just because I have a sense of basic hygiene!" I retorted as she walked past me, heading to get a towel. Over the last few months, she had gotten so comfortable in my house that she treated it like her own home.

"_Basic?_ It's like, space age cleaning in here!" Kyouko shouted back, slinging a pink towel over her shoulder. I feel like your apartment has been laminated!"

"Only because your flat is the last place on earth where you can still catch smallpox! I bet the rats get ill!" I cried, stamping.

"_I _wouldn't know! Since you kidnapped me, I hardly ever even see my flat!" She returned, striding toward the bathroom.

"Kidnapped? If you don't like it here, leave! I won't stop you!" I sent back, feeling my face heat up.

"Well, maybe I will!" Kyouko shouted, glaring.

"Ha! And go look after yourself? You're far too lazy to ever feed yourself again!" I returned triumphantly.

Kyouko just 'hmphed' as loudly as she could, stalking into the bathroom and slamming the door behind her. The quivering silence left in the wake of our argument was tremendous.

Then Kyouko started laughing. Quietly at first, from behind the bathroom door, but before long she was full-on cackling with the mirth of a stupid little good-for-nothing that had just beaten me _again_. I seethed quietly for a moment. Of course, that wasn't a real fight, even if I had started to act like it was. As per usual, Kyouko was just winding me up and I had fallen for it. What did she love about getting me so riled up anyway? She was such a cretin.

"And stop eating my bloody crisps!" I bellowed at the closed door, to which she just laughed even harder. That done, I sat down heavily on my sofa to have a jolly good sulk.

It only occurred to me then that despite all my worries and woes regarding Kyouko, and what we'd just been through, I hadn't actually been thinking about it at all since I got back. It was almost as if none of it had ever happened to her. Was this what she meant by a life without regrets? Encounter a problem or tragedy, solve it immediately as best you can and then just move on? I mean, she forgave Mami almost immediately, even though it was kind of her fault. Now, that's not to say that I haven't forgiven her by now, but it's different. I guess Kyouko's just too laid back for me to understand. She really just doesn't stress about things in the same way that I do. Nevertheless, I still want to talk to her about it. I'm worried that she might not be quite as fine as she seems.

Aside from my general thoughtfulness however, bath time was much the same as it always was. She went in for a while, came out looking cheerful and incredibly distracting wearing nothing but a towel, before telling me to be quick so that I could wash her hair when I was done. And when I was in, nothing out of the ordinary occurred. No mysterious crashes from outside, nothing weird at all. This, I concluded, was both great and a very bad thing at the same time. It was fantastic that she could bounce back so fast, I confirmed to myself for at least the tenth time as I stepped out of the bath, drying myself off enough that I didn't drip at all. But on the other hand, I couldn't escape the feeling that I definitely would not have recovered so quickly. This I reaffirmed to myself as I wrapped my towel tightly around myself, tucking it into itself at my chest so that it couldn't fall off.

My thoughts were re-prioritised, however, when I invited Kyouko back into the bathroom, and she arrived eagerly, grinning at me as she pulled a little stool out from under the sink and sitting down, facing away from me. I found myself unable _not_ to notice that neither of us were wearing very much at the moment, alone as we were in this warm, steamy bathroom…

Man, Kyouko looked great in the rich orange light of the bathroom. Her wet skin glistened like gold, and her beautiful red hair cascaded down her shoulders and almost to her seat, shining and sleek. She tapped her feet gently against the tile flooring as she waited for me, adjusting the way the towel rested on the top of her chest.

"Come on, Sa-ya-ka!" She said in a soft, sing-song voice to the beat of her feet, rocking her head from side to side. "Can we wash my hair to-day?"

"Okay, okay!" I laughed as she sang my name. She was such a little sweetheart. All other thoughts about earlier in the evening were essentially forgotten as I knelt down behind her, bottle in hand. Her hair really was a tangled mess up around her head. "Man, for someone with such pretty hair, you really don't look after it." I said, studying her.

"Hey, it's not so great." Kyouko replied, stopping to look up at me. "Your hair's way nicer." As if to emphasise her point, she reached up, pinching a lock of my fringe between her forefinger and thumb.

"Oi! Hands off, you!" I scolded lightly, patting her arm away and trying to hold in a faint blush that I could feel spreading across my face. "My hair isn't nice at all. It doesn't style, it just… musses up everywhere. I can't even have it long like yours, because it starts to curl and look weird. 'Sides, red's a way nicer colour."

"Is not! Blue looks really cute." Kyouko stated obstinately, turning away to face the front again.

"I-I…" I stammered, the heat in my face starting to feel like a fire. "Y-yeah, sure, Kyouko. You just take better care of your hair from now on, okay?"

"I'll try!" Kyouko said brightly, starting to tap her feet again.

"Or do you want me to wash your hair all the time?" I asked, smiling as I upended the bottle over her head and squeezed.

"Ah! Cold!" Kyouko winced, her shoulders tensing up as I squirted the pale pink ooze onto her head. The faint smell of passion fruit filled the air. "But really, I don't think I'd mind it too much. It's fun!"

"I've hardly even started, yet!" I said, placing both hands on her head. Man, her hair was so silky and soft! It wasn't fair that she never did anything with it.

"Prove me wrong, Sayaka." She replied simply, leaning back into my hands as I coated her head in suds.

Okay, I admit that I went a bit too far. Even with a case as bad as Kyouko's, forty-five minutes was too long to spend in a bathroom full of steam, eagerly and happily running my hands through Kyouko's luxurious hair again and again. Devoid of knots and tangles, it was actually even longer than I thought, coming down past her waist. I must have rinsed out her hair a dozen times that night, each time giving it that little extra shampoo until she shone like the sun. Not that she didn't anyway.

And yet, through the whole thing, she just sat there and took it. I mean, I never once expected her to _enjoy_ it at all. And, yet, that's really the only way I can adequately describe it! For the whole forty-five minutes, she never complained (Except for when I had to untangle a few _really_ difficult knots) she never whined, or fidgeted too much. In fact, by about twenty minutes in, she had closed her eyes and was humming softly to herself as I obsessed over her hair, and then her head, and then I might have ultimately finished up with a short shoulder massage. It wasn't like she didn't deserve it, after the day she'd had. And besides, she was practically asleep at that point anyway. And her skin was irresistible. It was so soft and warm beneath my hands! I'm sure I must have been shaking, but Kyouko never said a word about it. I just get so nervous when I'm touching her, you know? I wish I could explain why, as it's not like I can't trust myself to keep my hands somewhere innocent.

"There we go!" I said enthusiastically after rinsing her down a final time, throwing my arms around her.

"Whoa, hey!" Kyouko shouted, jumping in surprise. "Could have given me a heart attack!"

"Oh, hush you. It's time to get out now." I said, smiling. She smelled of passion fruit.

"I'm going nowhere with you limpeting on me." Kyouko said stubbornly, but it didn't sound like she minded too much.

"What? A big strong girl like you, can't carry little old me?" I asked teasingly.

"Well, maybe if you weren't so heavy…"

"I'm not heavy!" I shot back, poking her cheek.

"Yeah, yeah." Kyouko said, unable to comprehend that, as someone that doesn't have the metabolism of a whippet, I'm touchy about my weight. That, or because she did realise, she found it funny. She is a piece of work, sometimes. And with that, she got up, with me still clinging onto her back. Kyouko was strong like an ox, despite her slim, feminine body.

"Yay! Told you you could do it!" I said smugly, as she smiled back at me.

"'Course I can. I'm magnificent." Kyouko replied, so full of confidence and pride.

"Carry me, carry me!" I said cheerfully, swinging my legs up for her to catch.

"Oh, if I must…" Kyouko replied in mock reluctance, catching my legs just in the crook of my knees and carrying me piggy-back out of the bathroom, across the living room and up to my bedroom.

"Last stop, lazy-bones." Kyouko called, reversing into my bedroom. She let go, and I finally released her, dropping lightly to the ground. I felt a bit giddy, having spent so long in the hot, steamy bathroom, and then with my head resting on Kyouko's shoulder all the way up to my room.

"Thanks, Kyouko!" I said, ambling over to my bed and fetching my pyjamas. "I'll get changed just out here, okay?" I continued, pointing to the door.

"Huh? Oh, okay." Kyouko grunted, as she walked over to her sleeping bag. For some reason, she was blushing furiously.

I stepped outside into the darkened landing, closing the door behind me before I removed my towel and dried myself off. Yeah, it might not have been too weird if we'd gotten changed in the same room if we'd both just looked the other way or something, but, I don't know… Doing that would have been treating Kyouko as a really close friend, or possibly a sibling or something. And while I am happy treating her as a close friend, because she is, that's not really the relationship I want to have with her. In a weird way, I _want_ it to be awkward between us. I want it to be awkward, because if she feels uncomfortable with me looking at her, then maybe it's because she's been looking at me the same way. As unreasonable as it might be, I really want her to find me attractive.

_Then, she did say that my hair was cute…_

Not that it meant anything. Understanding Kyouko was like trying to understand meaning in the universe. She was full of dead ends and hyperbole and it all went by at such a breathlessly wonderful pace that it swept me off my feet, and… I really don't know anything.

I sighed, adjusting the way my pyjamas sat on my shoulders slightly and pushing the door open.

"Ready, Kyou-" I began, before Kyouko caught my eyes. It hadn't really occurred to me that she might have taken longer than me to get changed. She had her trousers on, and had put on her shirt, but it wasn't buttoned up yet and there may well have been quite a lot to see, had I not suddenly clapped my forearm over my eyes, turned away and started shouting incoherently in that 'I'm not looking, I'm sorry but I didn't see anything!' kind of way.

"H-hey!" Kyouko squawked, as my experience of the world became entirely aural. "I'm still getting changed, you great bleeding asshat!"

"I didn't see your fucking stomach, don't worry!" I shouted back, starting to blush quite fiercely.

"There's other stuff besides my stomach!" She cried back, as I staggered blindly over to my bed, feeling my way across my room one-handed. "I have boobs, you know!"

"Could have fooled me…" I muttered in reply.

"Shut up! I'm still growing!" My beautiful lodger replied, clearly sulking.

"Yeah, yeah." I replied, acting as if I didn't care. "Are you finished, yet?"

"Yeah, I am _now_." Kyouko stated, and I finally lowered my arm, restoring my sight.

Kyouko was wearing one of my sets of pyjamas, a long sleeved set of airy blue clothes that were just a tiny bit baggy on her. Personally, I think it made her look adorable, and as I was the only one who saw her like this, mine was the opinion that mattered.

"It's about time." I replied, hands on hips.

"Whatever, Sayaka."" Kyouko grumbled, stumbling back over to her sleeping bag. "Tell you, I'm knackered after having my belly ripped out. I'm gonna be starving in the morning."

"When are you not?" I asked flatly, slipping quickly into bed. Looking over at little Kyouko though, getting into that sleeping bag (Or rather, wriggling her way in like a grub) all by herself… It didn't sit right. Surely though, I couldn't-

"A-actually, Kyouko…" I said, before I had the chance to stop myself.

"Hm?" Kyouko grunted in response, looking up at me.

"Do you wanna… Sleep in my bed with me? Just for tonight." If I was honest, it was as much for my comfort and reassurance as hers. I'd almost lost Kyouko just a couple hours ago. My Kyouko! That… Cursed obsession of mine.

"Really?" Kyouko gasped, looking up at me with the huge eyes of a child that had just been told they could have as much ice cream as they liked. As if I could have ever said no to that.

"Sure. Come on up." I said, moving away and patting the side of the bed closest to her.

"Yay!" She cried, scrambling out of her sleeping bag and diving under my covers from the side, worming her way up next to me with a grin. "Thanks, Sayaka!"

"You know what's gotta happen now though, don't you? I asked, looking over at her.

"It ain't sleep, is it?" Kyouko mumbled hopefully.

"It's not. 'cos you said you'd answer some questions when we got home… About Mami."

"Ah, damn." She muttered. "Well, I suppose you'd better know sooner or later…"

"Yeah, I should." I said as gently as I could. "So, why is it that you're so touchy about hunting with Mami?"

"Well, it's… You know how it digs up a lot of old memories from way back when it was just the two of us…" Kyouko said, shuffling a little closer to me in the bed. "For her, I… I think she remembers a lot of the good. She likes to think the best of everyone, even someone like me."

"But you…" I prompted, edging slightly closer myself.

"I abandoned her, Sayaka!" Kyouko blurted with sudden emotion. "I left her all alone and I hardly looked back! If she had died, it would have been all my fault!"

"Kyouko…" I murmured, sliding my arm around her shoulders and pulling her in a little closer. She didn't reject me this time, or pull away. It felt nicer than I'd like to admit to hold her like this. "I'm sure she's forgiven you, for all that…"

"Well, I dunno…" Kyouko mumbled, turning her body toward me and throwing her arm across my chest in a loose, comforting hug.

"W-well… Haven't you apologised?" I asked, starting to feel a little flustered. She was so close, so needy… I didn't know she could be like this.

"I… No, not really…" Kyouko muttered, her voice clearly full of shame.

"What? Why not? You've been back for months!" I said, staring down at her in disbelief.

"I-it's not so simple as that!" Kyouko wailed, squeezing me tighter. "When I came back, I went to go apologise, but she just started acting like everything was fine, again… I-I didn't wanna ruin that…"

"Oh, Kyouko…" I soothed, trying to act as much like Mami as possible. She was reassuring and mature. "I understand, but… don't you think you should have apologised, by now?"

"Well yeah, but… I don't really know how. I mean, what I did was horrible. How could I make it up to her?"

"I don't really know, at the moment…" I replied thoughtfully. "But we'll think of something, don't worry."

"Thanks, Shayaka…" Kyouko murmured sleepily, scooting a little closer and hugging me tightly. "I'm glad I have you…"

"Yeah, I'm pretty great, aren't I?" I said with a smile, glad that she had closed her eyes and couldn't see how dark my blush had become. "But I guess you wanna sleep now, huh?"

"Yuh…" Was Kyouko's only reply, before sleep gently took her. She really could fall asleep at the drop of a hat. She was such a sweet little thing. I stroked her hair as I too felt fatigue slowly take me, listening to the soft sounds of contented breathing in the darkness as I lay back, Kyouko's face against my shoulder and her arm across my chest. Despite everything, that night had ended on a pretty good note.

.0.

**Jeez, that was an ordeal, for you as much as it was for me, I'm sure. 17000 words! Longest chapter of anything I've ever written, and longer than the first two chapters combined! Bit of a rollercoaster too, so I hope you enjoyed it. **

**Don't worry, by the way - it might not seem like it, but I do have a plan. Some background stuff won't be delved into at all, but most of the main differences between this universe and the canon one will be explained (Primarily why on earth Nagisa is alive, because that's pretty important).**

**Of course, the biggest difference of all is that Walpurgisnacht never actually turned up, but I couldn't possibly tell you why in a 'lore' sense. That's mainly because the canon story really doesn't give us enough to go on when it comes to Witch behaviour and nature. Which comes to my Witch headcanons - I'm sorry if you didn't really like that, but I had to say _something _on the subject. Mami already said the kinds of places you get Witches more frequently, and I just kind of expanded on that idea. And as the Witches all seem to have strong ties to European witch mythology (particularly German - they all have German names, for instance) I decided to run with the lunar cycle, which features pretty strongly in just about any country's folklore as a time when the worlds of the living and the dead are the closest together, allowing for all kinds of mythological creatures to come out. I just took mythology for poorly understood witch tales from Magical girls of millenia past, and ran with it.**

**Anyway, if you have any questions at all regarding the nature of the story, please message me because I reply to any message given to me that isn't through a guest account (though I wish I could reply to those too). Also please tell me what you think of my storytelling ability! Fanfiction isn't just my way of giving back to the fandom, it's practice for my own independent writing works and it'd mean a lot to me if I could get some feedback off you guys.**

**Until next time!**


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